Unaffordable Airfare is Unfair

The soaring cost of flying out from Imphal has now become a crisis that knocks on every door in Manipur. What was once a means of connection has turned out to be a sign of exclusion. With unreliable highways and the absence of railway connectivity, air transport remains the only dependable lifeline for students, patients, and daily travelers. But over the past months, skyrocketing fares and reduced flight frequency have made even that lifeline uncertain.
The Governor of Manipur, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, has thus echoed the collective pain of the people. In his letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, he termed the situation “alarming” as the frequency of flights between Imphal and other major hubs like Guwahati and Kolkata drastically fell. While five flights ran on a daily basis on those routes, now only two flights operate with no service either in the early morning or late evening. The consequence is predictable: surging demand, scanty seats, and prices shooting up to unaffordable levels.
This has caused immense hardship in Manipur – a state where road travel over long distances is risky and time-consuming. Students studying outside the state now find it difficult to go back home. Patients needing better medical treatment in Kolkata, Delhi, or Guwahati cannot afford a ticket. Traders, officials, and even relief workers are experiencing delays that paralyze the essential movement. Air travel, once a modestly priced necessity, has become an unaffordable luxury.
The intervention by the Governor reflects more than administrative concern; it is an appeal to restore dignity and mobility to the people. His warning that this is not an issue of convenience but a humanitarian concern needs to be taken seriously. The people of Manipur, already constrained by geography and unrest, cannot be left stranded by economic barriers.
In a welcome development, former Chief Minister N. Biren Singh announced that the Centre had approved two new flights — one each on the Imphal–Guwahati and Imphal–Kolkata routes — and is considering a fare cap of around Rs. 7,000. This, after discussions between MLA Susindro and the Secretary of Civil Aviation, gives a glimmer of relief. Singh said that the decision reflects the central leadership’s commitment to addressing the genuine concerns of the people of Manipur “in a timely and positive manner.”
Yet, the underlying question remains: why did the situation deteriorate to this extent before intervention came? The lack of regular monitoring, the absence of fare regulation, and the concentration of routes among a few operators have together created a near-monopoly. Whether deliberate or due to neglect, the effect has been the same — a silent economic chokehold on the people of Manipur.
Connectivity is not just a matter of transport; it is a matter of equity and access. If flying becomes unaffordable, then the gulf between the Northeast and the rest of the country grows wider. It will isolate the region socially, economically, and emotionally. Affordable flying service is not a privilege but a necessity for inclusion, progress, and national integration.
Thus, the Centre must look beyond temporary relief measures. In addition to restoration of flights and regulation of fares, there has to be a long-term plan for fair competition among airlines, periodic review of airfare slabs, and transparent oversight of regional connectivity.
Skies over Manipur should not become the symbols of exclusion. The Governor has spoken for the people, the former Chief Minister acted for them. It is for the Union government and aviation authorities now to translate those words and actions into enduring solutions. The people of Manipur deserve fair skies, not a battle to afford the journey home.