45 mins flight fare to Gauhati dearer than 3 hrs flight to Delhi

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 2 : Guwahati is only some 45 minutes from Imphal by air, yet it is costing more than a 3-hour flight to Delhi--making holes in the pockets of people, who are already suffering from a violent conflict that has the State engulfed in flames since May 3, 2023.
The cheapest airfare for flights from Imphal to Guwahati on November 5 is Rs 14,328.
The same for Imphal to Delhi on November 5 is Rs 10,037.
Again, the cheapest airfare from Imphal to Guwahati on November 10 is Rs 9,778.
The cheapest fare from Imphal to Delhi on November 10 is Rs 6,898.
The flight fares were as at about 5.40 pm of November 2, 2025.
The trend of the prices of tickets that has surfaced when this paper hit search on Google and websites of many ticketing agencies clearly shows the airfare for flights from Imphal to Delhi is surprisingly cheaper than flights to Guwahati.
A travel agency, meanwhile, has flagged this as "unacceptable" and "unfair" on social media tagging the PMO, Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, Manipur Government and its Tourism Department.
The travel agency posted, "Can you believe that Imphal to Delhi flights on November 3rd  which take around 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours, are cheaper than Imphal to Guwahati flights that take just 35-45 minutes? It's outrageous that we're being taken advantage of by airlines using dynamic pricing, especially during this time of ethnic violence when we have no choice but to fly. Isn't it unfair to charge exorbitant fares to people travelling out of necessity when road travel has been impossible for the past 2.5 years ? Shouldn't the authorities step in to regulate such price gouging? It feels like Manipur is being left to fend for itself, bearing the brunt of unjust policies and politics."
Pictures posted by the travel agency show that the cheapest airfare for Imphal to Guwahati on November 3 is Rs 14,617.
And, the cheapest airfare for Imphal to Delhi on November 3 is Rs 11,537.
Notably, airfare to and fro from Imphal has seen a steep rise in the last two years, especially after the violent conflict erupted in May 2023.
Ever since the conflict broke out, the Highways have been shut to people of the valley.
Unable to travel on the Highways, members of the community, poor or rich, have been forced to travel by air paying exorbitant fares.
Judging by the trend of the prices, and the Highway blockade that has conditioned and forced people to travel by air only, the airlines seem to be taking advantage of the people, said a frequent flyer, speaking to this reporter at the Bir Tikendrajit International Airport.
The person added that the steep airfare must be a burden to people, especially the poor, who visit Guwahati for medical treatment.
Another flyer weighed in saying, "We have no choice but to pay the steepest of the fares when there are no other options available to us".
Like the travel agency had flagged, the person said, "People have become victims of dynamic pricing, a tactic airlines are using to take advantage of the people."
Notably, dynamic pricing is the practice of varying the price for a product or service to reflect changing market conditions, in particular the charging of a higher price at a time of greater demand.
It is data-driven. Algorithms analyse various data points, such as current demand, competitor prices, historical sales data, time of day, season, and even weather.
Based on this data, prices are adjusted continuously, sometimes within minutes, to match market conditions.
With the airfare operating on the dynamic pricing model, the prices of fare from Imphal to other cities have increased, especially after the conflict, said another flyer who was bound for Delhi.
"The highways are blocked and therefore, the number of flyers has increased--meaning the demand for flight/ticket has increased. The airlines seem to be taking advantage of this and increasing the prices, instead of regulating the fare and making it fair," said the person.
Without strict intervention from the Government and authorities in civil aviation, the prices may not drop, added the person.
Significantly, many civil body organisations have on multiple occasions urged the Government to intervene and regulate the prices of the flights.
Significantly the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had recently stepped in directing domestic airlines to increase flight capacity and maintain fair pricing before the Diwali festival, but no changes are visible in the pricing for Manipur flyers.