Imagine a country where the dream of flying is slipping further out of reach for millions, despite grand promises to make air travel accessible to all. This is the stark reality in India today, where soaring airfares are crushing the aspirations of ordinary citizens. But here's where it gets controversial: while the government boasts of expanding aviation infrastructure, the very people it aimed to uplift are being priced out of the skies. And this is the part most people miss: the complex web of monopolistic trends, shrinking competition, and sky-high taxes that are fueling this crisis.
Take Salman Shahid, for instance, a frequent flyer between Srinagar and New Delhi. As the founder of Rise, a coaching center in Srinagar, he relies on air travel to balance work and family life in the capital. Before the pandemic, a one-way ticket would cost him around 3,300 rupees ($37.20). Fast forward to today, and that same ticket now exceeds 5,000 rupees ($56), with limited time options. This 50% surge has forced Shahid to cut his monthly trips in half, from four to just two. He nostalgically recalls a 2019 sale when he snagged a ticket for 1,700 rupees ($19) on Vistara. “That kind of pricing now feels like a dream,” he laments.
Shahid’s story isn’t unique. A November 2023 study by the Airports Council International (ACI) revealed that India’s domestic airfares soared by 43% in the first half of 2024 compared to 2019, the second-highest increase in the Asia Pacific and West Asia regions after Vietnam. International fares also jumped by 16%, placing India third globally. This spike is attributed to high demand, limited competition on certain routes, and a staggering 38% rise in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs since 2019. Fuel prices in cities like Delhi climbed from 68,050 rupees ($759) per kiloliter in January 2019 to 93,766 rupees ($1,046) by October 2025. Airlines, still recovering from pandemic losses, are passing these costs onto passengers.
“Despite the huge surge, airfares aren’t coming down and are only going up,” warns Vandana Singh, chairperson of the Aviation Cargo Federation of Aviation Industry in India (FAII). She argues that this relentless increase threatens to exclude the middle and lower-income classes from air travel altogether. Singh also criticizes the government’s UDAN scheme, launched in 2016 with the lofty goal of making flying affordable for all. Prime Minister Narendra Modi famously declared, “I want to see people who wear hawai chappals [flip-flops] flying in a hawai jahaaz [aeroplane].” Yet, Singh notes, this inspiring slogan now risks becoming a hollow catchphrase.
While India’s aviation infrastructure has expanded rapidly under Modi, with airports doubling from 74 in 2014 to 157 in 2024, experts argue that this growth masks a deeper crisis. Passenger numbers remain high due to increased routes and upper-middle-class travelers, but lower-income groups are being quietly pushed out. Rohit Kumar, an aviation economist, observes, “The rise in fares has quietly pushed the lower and lower-middle classes out of the skies.”
But here’s the controversial part: the consolidation of airlines is exacerbating this issue. The shutdown of major carriers like Go First and Jet Airways, coupled with the privatization of Air India and its merger with Vistara, has reduced competition. Today, IndiGo and Air India control a staggering 91% of India’s airline market. Zuhaib Rashid, an economics associate, argues that this oligopoly allows dominant players to dictate prices, particularly during peak seasons or emergencies. For instance, after a deadly attack in Kashmir, one-way ticket prices from Srinagar skyrocketed from 5,000 rupees ($56) to nearly 12,000 rupees ($135).
Adding to the burden are India’s high aviation taxes, among the highest in Asia. These taxes, including a 45% levy on ATF, account for nearly half of air ticket prices. Passengers also face additional fees, from user development charges to regional connectivity levies, which collectively inflate costs. Amjad Ali, a Delhi-based travel operator, notes that fares have risen sharply since 2020, with discounts for students and other groups being slashed.
So, what’s the solution? Singh argues that reducing taxes and surcharges is crucial to making air travel accessible. But will the government and industry stakeholders take action? And should they? Is it fair for private airlines to dominate a market where air travel remains a luxury for most? These are the questions that need answering. Until then, for the majority of India’s 1.4 billion people, flying will remain a distant dream rather than a reality.
