Top News

The Government of India has announced a 25% reduction in landing and parking charges for domestic flights at all major and non-major airports, to help keep airfares affordable amid rising prices of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) due to the ongoing West Asia (Iran) conflict. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu made this announcement on April 8, 2026.

The measure is expected to provide relief to airlines amounting to around ₹400 crore over a period of three months. This applies to all domestic flights with immediate effect and will remain in effect for three months.

Key details of relief

– Major airports (regulated by Airport Economic Regulatory Authority – AERA): 25% reduction in landing and parking charges from existing tariffs.

– Non-major airports (managed by Airports Authority of India – AAI): Similar reduction of 25% on approved rates.

– Any shortfall (under-recovery) in revenue for airports will be adjusted during the next five-year tariff determination cycle.

– This deduction is limited to domestic flights only.

The move is a part of the government’s multi-pronged response to support domestic aviation companies. Earlier, amid a huge surge in global ATF prices (reportedly more than 100% in some contexts), oil marketing companies had implemented only a partial 25% price increase for domestic airlines.

Minister Naidu stressed that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the focus is on making air travel more affordable and convenient. He said the government is closely monitoring the situation and will take further deliberate steps to ensure the viability of air operations and affordability for passengers despite global disruptions, including restricted airspace due to the West Asia crisis.

The Indian domestic aviation sector has shown resilience with the support of timely interventions. Airlines were facing pressure due to high fuel costs and operational challenges, and the cut is aimed at controlling the increase in airfares while supporting airlines.