NOIDA, May 13 -- Noida International Airport passengers may finally get the low-cost air travel they were promised, with airlines sharply reducing fares on key domestic routes ahead of the airport's commercial launch.
After facing criticism over higher-than-expected ticket prices from Jewar airport compared to Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, airlines including IndiGo and Akasa Air have revised fares downward for several sectors, making travel from Noida cheaper or at par with Delhi on some routes.
The fare revision comes as a major relief for passengers in Noida, Greater Noida and western Uttar Pradesh, who were expecting the upcoming airport to offer affordable and convenient connectivity. Earlier fare announcements had triggered disappointment among travellers and concern among local public representatives, as prices from Noida were significantly higher than Delhi despite the airport being projected as an alternative aviation hub.
Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh had written to both the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, urging intervention to ensure competitive pricing from the airport.
Akasa Air has announced the steepest fare cuts. For June 16 travel, the airline reduced the Noida-Bengaluru fare from Rs 8,532 to Rs 6,500. In comparison, Delhi-Bengaluru tickets are currently priced at Rs 6,998, making the Noida route cheaper. Similarly, fares for Navi Mumbai were slashed from Rs 6,505 to Rs 4,998, against Delhi's Rs 5,499. IndiGo has also revised fares on select sectors. The Noida-Lucknow ticket, which earlier cost Rs 4,981 for June 15 travel compared to Delhi's Rs 3,394, has now been reduced to Rs 3,394, matching Delhi rates. However, Noida-Bengaluru fares on IndiGo continue to remain slightly higher than Delhi.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.