Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday (April 1) ruled out capping airfares while stating the need for a balanced approach to ensure reasonable ticket prices while keeping airline operations viable.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during the discussion on the Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025, Naidu acknowledged that airfares are a contentious issue but asserted that the government would act against any malpractices in ticket pricing. The bill was later passed by the Upper House.
“When it comes to airfares it is a work in progress and a lot of things need to come into place… so capping the airfares and trying to have a one-stop approach is not followed by any country,” Naidu said. He explained that airfare costs depend on multiple factors, including aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and leasing charges.
Naidu assured that the ministry is committed to dynamic airfare pricing while preventing misuse or market exploitation. “We are trying to have dynamic airfare pricing, and definitely inside that if there is anything, for which malpractices are there, misusing or misutilisation or taking advantage of the market is there, definitely the ministry of civil aviation is going to take necessary actions. We are going to ensure those kinds of situations do not arise,” he said.
Highlighting the financial strain on airlines, Naidu pointed out that except for IndiGo, all airlines are operating at a loss. “If you make it unviable for airlines, if they go bankrupt… (it is) important to see how collectively we can grow so that the airfares are also reasonable, air travel continuously grows and the industry creates a lot of jobs for the youth,” Naidu added.
Expansion of airports in the country
Addressing concerns about airport expansion, Naidu announced that the Warangal airport project in Telangana has received site clearance with the support of the state government. “With the support of state government we were able to grant the site clearance and very soon we are going to start the work in Warangal airport also and very soon we plan on building one of the best airports in the country in Warangal,” he said.
Regarding requests for a Point of Call at Kerala’s Kannur Airport, Naidu acknowledged the demand but stressed the importance of developing Indian airports as international hubs. He noted that Kerala already has three airports—Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Calicut—with Point of Call status.
“Point of Call definitely we will look into it but there has to be a balanced approach for all states,” he said, adding, “We want to have our own Indian airports function as hubs. Now you see in the Gulf, Singapore, Turkey, all these countries, they are trying to grow their own airports at the cost of our Indian airports. They are trying to take the passenger traffic from here, take them to their own countries and from there they are trying to connect to the whole world. What we want to see is India have its own hubs in the country itself so that they can also flourish”.
Second airports in metro cities and UDAN scheme expansion
Naidu stated the urgent need for second airports in major metropolitan cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, as existing airports are nearing saturation.
Regarding the UDAN scheme, he announced an ambitious expansion plan to connect 120 new destinations and facilitate 4 crore passengers by 2036. “From 2026 to 2036, the UDAN scheme will expand significantly, enhancing regional connectivity across India,” he stated.
Affordable food and beverages at airports
Naidu also addressed concerns about the high prices of essentials like food, tea, coffee, and water at airports. He revealed that after Kolkata, UDAN Yatri Cafés would be introduced at eight more airports, with plans to extend them nationwide to provide affordable options for travelers.