Manipur's Airfare Crisis: Why Flights Cost 7x More Than Neighboring States

Manipur Government’s Additional Chief Secretary (Transport, Textiles, Commerce and Industry) Anurag Bajpai said that, acknowledging the gravity of the situation, the Governor has already written to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, urging immediate intervention to rationalise airfares and improve flight operations to and from Manipur. The letter of the Governor highlights the social and economic strain caused by the high airfare regime and requests the Ministry to take remedial measures in coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and airline operators.

Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Bajpai on Tuesday held a meeting with key officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI), Air India Express, IndiGo and Alliance Air on exorbitant airfare hike and limited flight operations in the Imphal sector. The ACS emphasised that at present airfare for the Imphal sector is significantly higher than that on comparable routes in other Northeastern states, even when journey distances are analogous.

Manipur government officials voiced concerns that airlines may be imposing elevated fares on high-demand routes of Manipur as a mechanism to offset losses on less profitable ones, thereby imposing an undue burden on the people of the State. A senior official of the Transport Department said that due to intermittent disruptions of road connectivity and the absence of rail connectivity, air transport is the only viable mode of travel in Manipur. Consequently, airfare rates have surged abnormally.

For instance, the fare for the short Imphal–Guwahati route, a 45-minute journey, has reportedly spiked from Rs 2,000–3,000 to as high as Rs 10,000 to 15,000 recently, the official said. A comparative study shows flyers from Imphal are paying up to seven times more than their counterparts in other Northeastern cities flying comparable distances to Guwahati.

ACS Bajpai stressed the need for greater transparency in fare structures and a coordinated regulatory framework between airlines and AAI. He emphasised that, given the disruptions in the surface transport and the absence of functional railway connectivity, air travel is indispensable in Manipur and that the current high fares are causing significant hardship to the public.

Air being the only viable mode of transport, the ACS asked the officials representing airlines to maintain airfare structure at par with other Northeastern states and also the summer‐level flight frequencies throughout the winter period. He further asked Alliance Air officials for the reintroduction of air services between Imphal–Silchar, Imphal–Aizawl and Imphal–Dibrugarh to restore regional connectivity that has been suspended.

Bajpai further asked Air India Express and IndiGo officials to consider the introduction of Imphal–Bangkok passenger and cargo services, as they are in high demand. The Additional Chief Secretary reiterated the commitment of the government to ensure that connectivity, physical and economic, is preserved and enhanced for its citizens. It calls upon the national aviation authorities, airlines and other stakeholders to broaden the lens of social equity when pricing air travel, especially for regions such as Manipur with limited transport alternatives.

The meeting was attended by the Director (Transport) and Joint Secretary (Transport).

- IANS