Imp-Ghy: Imphal paying 700 pc more than passengers from other NE cities

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 3: Flyers from Manipur are paying as much as 700 percent more than their peers from other North East cities when flying to Guwahati.
Non-stop flights from Imphal to Guwahati and Agartala to Guwahati take around the same duration, about 50 minutes.
However, the cheapest airfare for non-stop flights from Agartala to Guwahati on November 6 is only Rs 1,903, while Imphal to Guwahati flyers are paying as much as Rs 13,328.
While The Sangai Express had earlier flagged  this issue of highly inflated flight ticket prices for Manipur flyers, it is now bringing to the readers--a comparison of airfares for flights from North East cities to Guwahati.
Further, the prices of tickets from Imphal to Guwahati for months into 2026 have been projected to be above Rs 3,000.
There are no direct flights from Shillong and Gangtok to Guwahati, and as such, indirect flights from these cities have not been included.
While dynamic pricing followed by airlines has been partly blamed for the highly inflated ticket prices, the comparison has undoubtedly shown that the people of Manipur are paying more than their peers of other North East cities.


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.
Significantly, after this paper brought to light this issue, some concerned citizens have reportedly written to airlines seeking their attention to maintain a fair and reasonable price for flight from Imphal.
The Air India Express, in a reply to such a query, said it "continuously evaluates fare structures and route operations to ensure a balance between affordability, accessibility, and operational viability.
"While ticket fares are governed by a variety of factors--including demand, operational costs, and regulatory requirements--we remain committed to exploring feasible measures to make air travel more accessible for all our passengers," said the airline.
Meanwhile, Chipemmi Keishing, Director, Imphal International Airport said a reduction in the number of flights operating from the airport this season may be one of the factors that has contributed to the soaring airfare.
During the summer, Air India Express operated three flights, and IndiGo operated two flights on the Imphal–Guwahati sector, making it a total of five flights per day.
With five flights operational on the route, the capacity was about 900 passengers per day (180 seats x 5 flights), Keishing said.
During the winter schedule that has begun, both Air India Express and IndiGo are operating only one flight each, reducing the total to two flights per day.
As a result, the total available capacity has dropped to 360 seats per day (180 seats x 2 flights), showing a shortfall of 540 seats compared to the summer schedule, Keishing said
Because of this sharp reduction in the capacity and continuous high passenger demand, airfares have increased automatically due to the dynamic pricing system followed by the airlines, Keishing added.
To meet the growing travel demand and maintain smooth regional connectivity, it would be appropriate to demand more flights on the Imphal–Guwahati route. This will help add more seats, control fare levels, and improve passenger convenience, Keishing said.
Keishing, however, informed that the Alliance Air flights may be an affordable choice, and its fares are cheaper and capped by the Government.
Under the UDAN–RCS scheme, Alliance Air operates ATR 72 aircraft on this route twice a week--on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The same service will continue during the winter, providing 72 seats per flight and a total of 144 seats per week, Keishing added.
Notably, the UDAN–RCS  is a Regional Connectivity Scheme aimed at making air travel affordable and accessible by connecting unserved and underserved regional airports.
Significantly, the Government-owned regional carrier, Alliance Air had recently launched "Fare Se Fursat" scheme which offers a single, consistent price for a ticket on select routes, regardless of how far in advance it is booked.
The pilot phase runs from October 13 to December 31, 2025, covering routes served by State-run Alliance Air.
Meanwhile, the Airport Director said the airfares may not dip unless the number of flights  increase.
The number of flights may not increase without the intervention of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Keishing added.
While there is no sight of any respite, the soaring prices of flight tickets has put a strain on the economy of the people of Manipur who are already suffering from a violent conflict that has killed more than 250 people and displaced thousands.
Unable to travel freely on the Highways that have been blocked to the people of the valley since May 3, 2023, the people have no choice but to pay the exorbitant amounts, charged by the airlines.