Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu: Airfares must be capped, govt told airlines.

• Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu called for capping airfares and communicated this to airlines.
• The government can cap airfares in extraordinary situations under the Aircraft Act, despite a deregulated market.
• This statement follows the government's intervention during the IndiGo crisis, which caused exorbitant airfare surges.
• Past instances of government-capped airfares include during Covid-19, Mahakumbh, and the Pahalgam-Srinagar crisis.
• IndiGo's flight cancellations led to significant fare increases, with some routes like Delhi-Bengaluru exceeding Rs 80,000.

Why It Matters: This could lead to fairer, more affordable air travel during emergencies.