Soaring air fares in Imphal and Govt response with “Fare Se Fursat” scheme

Rahul Khangembam
Air travel has become prohibitively expensive for Meiteis. The current situation highlights serious issues with air travel for passengers traveling to and from Imphal. During the festive season, fare hike was expected, which is common but months later, the prices have not dropped the fares remained abnormally high.
The 45-minute short flight between Imphal and Guwahati now commands fares upwards of Rs 13,000, The Imphal to Guwahati short flight, which typically cost around Rs 3,416 to Rs 5,000, is now priced similarly to Imphal to Delhi flight (around Rs 13,000 and above). The situation, widely exposed on social and local media as a clear case of extortion against the public.
Thanks to media coverage detailing the hardship caused by the exorbitant airfare on the Imphal–Guwahati–Kolkata sector, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has provided a positive response. The Ministry is reportedly preparing a proposal to introduce a fare cap to provide immediate relief.
However, the Director of Imphal International Airport said that the primary reason for the soaring fares is the reduction in flight services : AIX (Air India Express) and IndiGo previously operated a combined total of five flights (three by AIX, two by IndiGo). Both airlines have since reduced their operations to only one flight each. The Airport Director, Mr Keishing, suggested Alliance Air flights as a potentially more affordable option under the Government's UDAN-RCS (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik – Regional Connectivity Scheme) Alliance Air Offers Limited Relief.
These fares are generally cheaper, but the flights operate only twice a week—on Wednesday and Saturday—offering limited seats. Govt implementing a fixed-fare scheme called "Fare Se Fursat," scheduled to run from Oct 13, 2025, to Dec 31, 2025 with Alliance Air.  
However, these services are frequently reported to suffer from issues with delays, cancellations, and a poor flight experience. This leaves flyers asking crucial questions: Will the "Fare Se Fursat" scheme truly work ? Will the Government ensure to solve the frequent operational complaints ? Are the “Fare Se Fursat" flights safe ? Will it solve passenger complaints ?
According to the The Economic Times, October 2022 Mr Sanmukh Jugani, Regional Executive Director of the Airports Authority of India, confirmed that a New Integrated Terminal Building with modern facilities will be constructed at Imphal International Airport. The contract has been awarded, and the construction is expected to be com- pleted within 24 months. But the work halted due to violence during May 2023-2024, Mr Keishing also said that the expansion of Imphal airport is now back on track and project to be expected to be completed by 2027.  The Govt should initiate efforts to improve and increase air connectivity which may involve supporting existing carriers and attracting new airlines to the region to ensure sustainable and affordable travel options in the future.