Pahalgam Terror Attack: Srinagar Airfare Drops 50% After Government Directive

Airlines have slashed airfare from Srinagar over the last two days, with a Srinagar–Delhi flight falling from over Rs 20,000 to under Rs 10,000, following a government directive to curb fares, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Thursday.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu directed airlines to ensure safe transit for stranded tourists and take immediate steps to control soaring airfares in the wake of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The minister also asked carriers to increase flight frequencies to and from Srinagar.

"As a result of these interventions, a notable reduction in airfares from Srinagar has been observed over two days," the ministry said. "For instance, a flight from Srinagar to Delhi, which was priced over Rs 20,000 on April 21, has decreased to a more accessible fare, falling below Rs 10,000 by April 24."

The aviation ministry is consistently monitoring fares being charged by airlines and remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting passengers and is striving to ensure that no airline exploits this challenging period by engaging in practices of profiteering, the ministry said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation also issued urgent advisories to all airlines and online travel agencies, calling for seamless connectivity from Srinagar to destinations across India, clear and transparent fare displays, and on-ground assistance to affected passengers.

Despite the efforts, the ministry noted that complaints have continued to surface on social media regarding high fares. The MoCA clarified that many such grievances are related to business or premium-class tickets or involve indirect routes with one or more stopovers — both of which tend to be priced higher than direct, economy fares.

"Observations on various social media platforms indicate that many grievances stem from issues related to connecting flights," the ministry noted.

For such flights, airlines typically implement a fare structure that aggregates the costs of each individual segment of the journey. Consequently, rather than providing a singular flat rate for the entire trip, airlines impose a cumulative pricing model that reflects the fares associated with each leg of the journey, it added.

Additionally, it has been observed that in certain cases, business-class airfares are inadvertently intermingled with economy-class results, according to the ministry. "Moreover, when economy class seats are fully booked, the displayed fares automatically transition to business class, thereby creating a misleading impression of inflated prices."

Passengers have been encouraged to use official airline websites or trusted OTAs and apply filters such as "low to high" when searching for flights. "By effectively utilising the filter options available on these platforms, passengers can streamline their search… thereby enhancing their travel experience," the ministry said.

An advisory has been issued to all airlines to clearly segregate fares by class — economy, premium economy and business.