Even as the Centre acted within hours to stabilise IndiGo operations, Manipuris questioned why similar urgency wasn’t shown when ticket prices on their only safe route quadrupled for months. Flyers call it “daylight robbery in a conflict zone”.
BY Navin Upadhyay
New Delhi, Dec 7:
The national uproar over IndiGo’s six-day operational collapse — which left airports choked and thousands of passengers stranded — prompted an unusually rapid response from the Union government this week. Airfares were capped overnight, executives were served show-cause notices, and a high-level inquiry was ordered within hours.
But the Centre’s urgency has triggered sharp resentment in Manipur, where residents say they have endured unregulated, sky-high airfares for over two years without similar intervention.
Since the ethnic violence of May 3, 2023, made highway travel unsafe for thousands of Kuki-Zo residents, the Imphal–Guwahati route has been their only reliable link to the rest of India. During this period, ticket prices have routinely climbed to levels many describe as “extortionate”, with no caps, relief, or regulatory action.
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Fresh screenshots of fares from November 5 — submitted by passengers — show prices of:
- ₹25,220
- ₹26,220
- ₹26,220
for the 40-minute, 274-km Imphal–Guwahati hop. By contrast, a Guwahati–Delhi ticket covering 1,450 km costs ₹7,000–₹8,000 on the same day.
A comparative analysis shows the Imphal route is between three to four times more expensive than much longer domestic flights, and in some cases costlier than certain international sectors.
Anger Erupts Online: “Delhi to London Is Cheaper”
The IndiGo meltdown has flooded social media with complaints — but several posts have redirected attention to the longstanding Manipur airfare problem.
A user posting as @LogIQ_at wrote:
“For context, flying from Delhi to London is cheaper than Imphal to Guwahati!”
For context, flying from Delhi to London is cheaper than Imphal to Guwahati!#IndigoDelay @MDoNER_India
@IndiGo6E @airindia @DGCAIndia pic.twitter.com/OirUwiY0D2— Logical Manipur (@LogIQ_al) December 6, 2025
In another post, he added:
“Price gouging has been ongoing for months on the Imphal–Guwahati route, the only safe way out for many. Highways are full of violent robbers and militants. This immoral price hike has not been fixed for months.”
Price gouging has been ongoing for months at the Imphal-Guwahati flight route, which is literally the only safe way that people from Imphal can travel to rest of India, given that highways are full of violent robbers and militants. This immoral price hike has not been fixed for… pic.twitter.com/Csj9JbGFYc
— Logical Manipur (@LogIQ_al) December 6, 2025
Lok Sabha MP A. Bimol Akoijam expressed strong criticism, again raising an issue he had highlighted earlier this year:
“Imphal–Guwahati, a 40-minute flight covering barely 274 km, costs ₹17k–₹18k while Guwahati–Delhi costs ₹7k–₹8k. This is daylight robbery committed upon tragedy-stricken people of Manipur!
The Government of India remains a mute spectator to this loot.”
Double Standards Alleged
Residents and civil society groups in Manipur say the stark contrast in government response — swift action for IndiGo, no action for Manipur — reflects a troubling double standard.
During the IndiGo crisis:
- Economy fares were capped overnight
- DGCA issued notices to top airline executives
- The Civil Aviation Minister held hourly reviews
- Airlines were ordered to submit compliance reports
- Railways mobilised 89 special trains for stranded passengers
Yet, despite repeated appeals from the conflict-hit state over two years, no fare regulation, special services, or emergency measures were announced for Manipur.
Local groups argue that the government could easily have treated the Imphal–Guwahati sector as a humanitarian corridor, mandating fare caps or subsidised operations — especially when highways remain unsafe due to armed attacks and blockades.
A Crisis That Exposed a Larger Neglect
Airline analysts say Manipur’s high fares are a direct result of constrained capacity, reduced airline competition and the lack of regulatory oversight on a route that effectively functions as a lifeline.
“The IndiGo crisis revealed how quickly the government can intervene when it chooses to,” said an aviation expert. “The question now is why that urgency was never extended to a conflict-affected population that has been forced to depend on air travel for survival.”
For thousands of Manipuris, the IndiGo meltdown is not just a story of airline mismanagement — it is a reminder of the more than two years they spent paying international-level prices for domestic travel while authorities, in their words, “looked the other way.”
