India’s sky-high fares crash dreams to make flying accessible to all

Al JazeeraCenterEN 9 min read 100% complete by Aatif AmmadDecember 2, 2025 at 06:10 AM

AI Summary

long article 9 min

In 2025, airfares in India have significantly increased, impacting travelers like Salman Shahid who now find it harder to afford frequent flights between cities like Srinagar and New Delhi. A study by Airports Council International (ACI) revealed a 43% rise in domestic airfares in the first half of 2024 compared to 2019, the second-highest increase in the Asia Pacific and West Asia regions. International fares also rose by 16%. The surge is attributed to high demand, limited competition on certain routes, and a 38% increase in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs since 2019. Airlines are also trying to recover losses incurred during the pandemic. Experts say that high taxes and shrinking competition are making Prime Minister Modi's vision of accessible air travel for all increasingly difficult to achieve.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Indigo 40% New Delhi ×350% Srinagar ×260% Salman Shahid ×260% India ×780% Prime Minister Modi 80%

Keywords

airfares 100% aviation turbine fuel 70% india 60% domestic air travel 60% pandemic recovery 50% competition 50% aviation industry 40% travel costs 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

India

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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airfares aviation turbine fuel india domestic air travel pandemic recovery competition aviation industry travel costs

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