New Delhi: Air travelers should be prepared for a big increase in airfares. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled in April following the Iran war, dealing a fatal blow to Indian aviation companies. The oil PSU on Wednesday morning announced aviation turbine fuel (ATF) pricing for April, which saw an increase of about 115% for domestic flights and about 107% for international flights. The rupee is touching new lows on a daily basis, increasing the burden on airlines as most of the costs there are denominated in dollars.Domestic ATF Pricing: A kilo liter (kl or 1,000 litre) of ATF for domestic flights will now cost Rs 2,07,341.22 at IGIA in Delhi, India’s busiest aviation hub – a 114.5% increase from Rs 96,638.14 last month. This is the first time that the price of this refined kerosene to ensure that aircraft can defy gravity has crossed the Rs 2 lakh mark in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. Prices at CSMIA in Mumbai, India’s second busiest hub, will rise 115% to Rs 194,968.67 in April from Rs 90,451.87 last month.ATF pricing for international flights: ATF pricing for these flights by Indian carriers has crossed the $1,000 mark for the first time in India. One kilo liter of ATF for international flights will now cost $1,690.81 in Delhi, which is 107% higher than last month’s $816.91. The prices and hikes in Mumbai are almost the same. At $1,727.3, the highest price will be seen in Kolkata – up 102% from last month’s $855.25. With the rupee at a record low, prices will be further affected.In April and May 2024, the price of ATF for international flights was more than $900. But at that time the dollar-rupee exchange rate was at the level of 83-84. It is now at a record low of more than 95.What this means for the cost structure of airlines: Even before the anticipated increase in India, which is a result of the Iran war and on the same lines as what has happened in most other countries, the ATF for domestic flights in India was among the most expensive globally. Jet fuel accounted for 40%–45% of the airlines’ total operating costs. This percentage will now change massively and make operations unviable for weaker players.What will the airlines do: Airlines will increase fares to reflect increased operating costs. This will affect demand and lead to reduction in flights. Airlines are taking a close look at each route to determine whether operations make economic sense. indigo, air india Group, Akasa were among the airlines that imposed or increased fuel surcharges last month which now range from Rs 150 to $200. Now it can be amended. The fare cap of Rs 18,000 for domestic flights was removed on March 21, 2026. Since airlines have not received any fiscal relief on ATF excise duty (from the Centre) or VAT (from some places like Delhi and Mumbai), they had explicitly asked the government to cap the airfares if their costs can also be fixed similarly.Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said in a mail to employees last month that “the financial impact of the (Iran war) crisis is still not fully felt, although the spot price of jet fuel has more than doubled, most of the impact will hit us only from next month onwards.” He warned that rising operating costs could force more airlines to reduce flights “depending on how fuel costs, airfares and customer demand evolve.” The rupee is touching new low on a daily basis, pushing up dollar-denominated costs for Indian airlines, including fuel, for international flights. The route from the top to the west has become very long.While airlines have implemented or increased fuel surcharges, Wilson said, “Not every customer is willing to pay higher airfares, so there is a limit to how high we can price before demand declines. Additionally, given economic uncertainties, it is not certain that customers or companies will be as willing to travel as they were before the conflict, and may choose to stay put for some time.Wilson had said, “There will be some new demand, as we are seeing – and deploying additional flights to some cities in Europe and North America, but already in some parts of the world airlines are reducing some flights due to higher fuel prices. We may also have to make adjustments depending on how fuel costs, airfares and customer demand evolve.”

Amid heated political controversy over allegations of alleged voter list manipulation in West Bengal. Trinamool Congress (TMC) Ahead of the Assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Aggarwal on Tuesday rejected claims that his office has any mechanism to make arbitrary changes to the voter list.The controversy centers on Form 6, an application used by first-time voters to enroll or by existing voters to transfer constituencies. The ruling TMC has accused the BJP of trying to flood the applications to add “outsiders” to the state’s voter base.Responding to these allegations, Aggarwal emphasized the procedural nature of the system, being quoted by PTI as saying, “I want to say that this is a government office, there is a receiving section, and one can submit as many documents as one wants.” “One lakh documents or one document can be submitted in a day by one person. As the head of the office, I am not aware of this. There is a rule,” he said.Clarifying further, he said submissions are handled at multiple levels and are not directly monitored by him unless escalated: “I don’t need to know who is submitting what. The documents are separated, and then, if necessary, they are sent to me. I learned that some Form 6s have been received by us.”Rejecting the allegations of manipulation through digital means, Aggarwal said, “There is no software in the CEO’s office through which names can be added or deleted. If there is an allegation against someone of being a fake voter, the concerned officers do the verification as per the prescribed procedure, and then the report is submitted to the Election Commission.”The political controversy intensified when Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar alleging that Form 6 applications were being filed by persons who have no legitimate connection to the state. He described the process as “illegal, unconstitutional and fundamentally undemocratic, reflective of malicious intent and bad motive.”Earlier, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee had claimed that around 30,000 Form 6 applications were submitted within a few hours, terming it a violation of Supreme Court norms.Tension spilled over into the streets when a group of booth level officers (BLOs), believed to be affiliated with the TMC, protested outside the CEO’s office alleging electoral malpractices. The situation turned into a clash between police and BJP workers. Authorities said they intervened to prevent further unrest. “We took action to maintain law and order as the situation was going out of control,” a senior officer said. “Minimum force was used to disperse the gathering.”The police have also imposed prohibitory measures in the area, Agarwal said, adding, “Section 163 has been imposed here by the Kolkata Police Commissioner. Therefore, if any disturbance occurs in this area, it is the responsibility of the police to handle the situation. They should be allowed to perform their duty. If they fail, the Commission will take action.”The protest followed the visit of opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, who had approached the CEO’s office to lodge a complaint against Mamata Banerjee and accused her of instigating unrest.Meanwhile, TMC circulated a video on social media purportedly showing Form 6 applications being submitted in large numbers. “The design is clear,” the party claimed in its post. Bring the voters. Bihar And Uttar Pradesh. Change the demography of Bengal. Change the decision of Bengal. Erase the voice of Bengal before even a single vote is cast.”In response to these claims, Aggarwal said that the office’s CCTV footage would be reviewed to verify the allegations of mass renditions.The development comes in the backdrop of the recent administrative reshuffle by the Election Commission in the state, which also includes changes in Kolkata’s top police leadership following the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.

New Delhi: A video of a woman allegedly being paraded and assaulted by a large mob in Bihar’s Nalanda district went viral on social media on Tuesday, triggering sharp political reaction. The opposition hit out at the ruling NDA coalition over the “collapsed” law and order situation in the state, calling it “the beginning of Manipur-like brutality”.The incident, which took place in Noor Sarai area a few days ago, came to light after a purported video surfaced online.Leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly Mohd. Tejashwi Yadav Condemning the incident, it was described as a “shameful incident in Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s home district”.“It was an attempt at gang rape. The people who molested the woman tore her clothes. This incident presents a horrifying picture of the broken law and order situation in Bihar,” he alleged.RJD also took a dig at the JDU government on social media and posted, “Nitish Kumar’s so-called ‘good governance’ is at its peak!” Bihar Congress stepped up its attack, drawing comparisons with the incident in Manipur where two women were paraded naked by a mob, and said the Nalanda case reflected a similar pattern of brutality.“Even before BJP became the Chief Minister, Manipur-like brutality has started from Nitish Kumar’s home district in Bihar!” The party said.The Congress party also expressed similar concerns, stating that “the woman was treated extremely disgustingly. The thugs tore the woman’s clothes in public and made a video of it, which they later made viral.” “This incident is a stain on the society. Those responsible should be given strictest punishment.” This incident shows that ‘Jungle Raj’ is completely prevalent in Bihar and women are not safe.Stepping up its attack, the party accused the ruling coalition of protecting criminals. It said, “The BJP-JDU government is giving protection to criminals and now the same criminals are roaming freely on the streets and carrying out such atrocities.”Police said the woman lodged a complaint on March 26, following which two accused, Ashok Yadav and Matlu Mahato, residents of Ajaypur village, were arrested. He said that efforts are on to nab the other people seen in the video.