A parliamentary panel has actually useful a model new artificial-intelligence-driven stringent airfare pricing regulation mechanism for monitoring airfares, saying the current regulatory framework beneath the DGCA lacks the aptitude to proactively regulate them.
In its 375th report, Requires for Grants (2025–26) of Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Division-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Custom moreover actually useful that the Directorate Regular of Civil Aviation be empowered with quasi-judicial authority to impose non everlasting price caps or penalties on airways partaking in “exploitative” practices.
The panel, headed by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, has moreover actually useful rising a mobile utility, Airfare Vigil, on the strains of the cVIGIL mobile app of the Election Payment, to empower residents to report conditions of arbitrary airfare pricing.
The timeline for implementation must span 18–24 months, with Part I specializing in high-traffic routes inside six months and nationwide rollout achieved by 2026, as per the report, which was tabled inside the Lok Sabha and launched inside the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
“The Committee, whereas analyzing the Demand for Grants of the Ministry of Civil Aviation for 2025-26, recommends the establishment of a stringent airfare pricing regulation mechanism beneath the framework of an AI-powered predictive monitoring system, tentatively named AirPrice Guardian,” the Parliamentary panel talked about in its report.
This system must intention to deal with shopper grievances related to unpredictable and exorbitant airfare surges, considerably all through peak journey durations and emergencies, whereas guaranteeing transparency and fairness in pricing practices, it talked about.
“The Committee notes that the current regulatory framework beneath the Directorate Regular of Civil Aviation lacks the aptitude to proactively monitor and regulate airfare traits, necessitating a transformative technique leveraging superior know-how,” it acknowledged.
It moreover talked about that the proposed AirPrice Guardian system will utilise machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics to forecast airfare traits primarily based totally on historic data, demand patterns, gasoline costs, seasonal fluctuations and exterior elements just like festivals or emergencies.
By establishing dynamic fare bands for each route, updated quarterly by the use of predictive fashions, this system will empower regulators to look at deviations in real-time and take preemptive movement in opposition to excessive pricing, the parliamentary panel talked about inside the report.
The committee actually useful that the “DGCA be empowered with quasi-judicial authority to impose non everlasting price caps or penalties on airways partaking in exploitative practices”.
Furthermore, the report acknowledged, a Pricing Transparency Index must be developed to charge airways on their adherence to truthful pricing norms, with this information made publicly on the market by the use of a consumer-facing portal.
The committee moreover actually useful that the current Tariff Monitoring Unit contained in the DGCA be revamped with AI-driven devices for real-time data analysis and anomaly detection.
In alignment with the ministry’s think about regional connectivity beneath the regional connectivity scheme, UDAN, the committee “underscores that airfare monitoring ought to lengthen to underserved routes to forestall excessive fares that undermine accessibility”, it talked about.
A portion of the funds must be allotted for this scheme and that must be utilised to mix fare monitoring mechanisms into regional connectivity initiatives, the report acknowledged, together with that this may increasingly make certain that moderately priced air journey stays a cornerstone of India’s aviation progress method.
Highlighting the need for public consciousness campaigns to educate clients about their rights beneath this new regulatory framework, the committee actually useful the occasion the mobile app, saying this app will allow clients so as to add proof just like screenshots of ticket prices and contextual particulars, with choices like real-time geo-tagging, automated criticism monitoring, and time-bound determination mechanisms.
Upon submission, clients will receive a novel ID to hint their criticism standing, guaranteeing transparency and accountability, it talked about.
Furthermore, the app will even embody safeguards in opposition to misuse, just like filtering duplicate or frivolous complaints, whereas allowing anonymous submissions to encourage wider participation, the committee talked about in its report.
Airfare Vigil shall be built-in with the AI-powered AirPrice Guardian system, enabling citizen research to boost predictive analytics in determining exploitative pricing patterns. This initiative will foster participatory governance by involving residents in airfare regulation whereas strengthening the DGCA’s potential to deal with shopper grievances swiftly and efficiently, it talked about.
The committee moreover talked about given the ministry’s complete earnings expenditure allocation of Rs 2,330.3 crore and capital outlay of Rs 70 crore for 2025-26, it recommends reallocating from underutilised allocations (just like Air India liabilities) in the direction of rising and implementing this airfare monitoring system.
The committee in its report talked about it believes that implementing ‘Air Price Guardian’ and ‘Airfare Vigil’ will cope with long-standing shopper grievances regarding airfare volatility whereas fostering transparency and accountability in India’s aviation sector.
“By aligning this initiative with broader protection targets just like regional connectivity and sustainable aviation progress, it isn’t going to solely defend shopper pursuits however as well as strengthen India’s place as a worldwide chief in aviation innovation and regulation,” it talked about.
