Parliament Question: Fuel volatility, infrastructure failures and passenger exploitation in civil aviation

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 1781 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9th March 2026 FUEL VOLATILITY, INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES AND PASSENGER EXPLOITATION IN CIVIL AVIATION

1781. SHRI SANJAY RAUT

Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:-

(a) when Government will stop shielding airlines from sky-high ATF taxes, push sustainable fuels and force real hedging so passengers aren't crushed by every global oil spike;

(b) measures Government is taking to fix broken airports, upgrade air traffic control, audit unsafe airstrips and end the daily torture of cracked seats and extortionate fares on long-haul flights; and

(c) with the duopoly jacking up fares during every crisis and festival, will Government finally impose fare bands, a clear index and hard curbs on predatory dynamic pricing to protect every Indian flyer? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol)

(a) India, being a Member State of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is under obligation to comply with the mandatory phase of Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from 2027. Under CORSIA, airlines are required to offset their emissions, above a set baseline. The Government has approved indicative blending targets of 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030 for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) in traditional Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), initially for international flights. Public sector Oil Marketing Companies are actively engaged in achieving the stated blending targets.

(b) The upgradation and modernization of airports is a continuous process and is undertaken by Airports Authority of India (AAI) and other Airport Operators from time to time, depending on the passenger demand forecast, operational requirements and demand from airlines. Development works are taken up in a phased manner, subject to the availability of land, financial viability, and operational needs related to intended aircraft operations. Further, DGCA also undertakes surveillance inspections of licensed airports on regular basis to ensure compliance of standards prescribed by the Aircraft Rules 1937 and Civil Aviation Requirements.

(c) With the repeal of Air Corporations Act in March, 1994, Airlines have the flexibility to determine their airfares based on their operational needs, while adhering to Rule 135 of theAircraft Rules, 1937. In order to maintain pricing discipline in the market, Government remains vigilant and sensitize airlines to exercise moderation. Measures like temporary fare cap, increase in the number of flights, reallocation capacity etc. are adopted as done during pandemic, festivals, Mahakumbh, Pahalgam incident & recently during flight disruptions in early December, 2025.

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