It is too little, too late for the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to launch Udan Yatri Cafés at airports. An Udan Yatri Café has been introduced for the first time at Kolkata Airport, offering a cup of tea for ₹10, coffee for ₹20, a water bottle for ₹10, a samosa for ₹20, and the sweet of the day for ₹20.
Apart from this new development, which is still in the pilot project stage, there is absolutely no price regulation at airports, at least in India. The practice of selling food and other products at exorbitant prices has been prevalent for years, with travelers feeling helpless—many even choosing to stay hungry for hours rather than paying almost ten times the actual market price.
The reasons are well known: higher GST rates, higher license fees, higher rents for vendors and restaurants at airports, and the lack of alternative options for travelers, all of which contribute to this issue. These inflated costs are simply passed on to consumers, which is unfair, irrational, and unjustified. It is truly frustrating to purchase a water bottle at twice its MRP, a cup of tea worth ₹20 for ₹200, or snacks such as samosas, sandwiches, and burgers for ₹350. Meals, momos, beverages, and various other products are also priced outrageously.
A recent national survey conducted by LocalCircles revealed that 58% of passengers pay 200% more for food at airports than at regular restaurants. I still remember that at 2 AM at Bengaluru Airport in 2007, I was charged ₹80 for a plain cup of tea. Interestingly, there has never been any significant resistance to such practices, not even in print or electronic media—this despite the existence of the Consumer Protection Act of 1986 and the more specific Consumer Protection Act of 2019, which extends to e-commerce transactions.
Charging more than the MRP is an established offence under Section 52 of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, and the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011, which impose a penalty of up to ₹2,000. Though the CPA 1986 had no specific regulator to address unfair practices, the CPA 2019 established the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to monitor and investigate unfair practices, including misleading advertisements, overpricing, and service deficiencies. It also gives consumers the right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard, and price of goods and services.
One wonders if the State/UT Legal Metrology Departments have any role in curbing these inflated prices at their respective airports. Nevertheless, all thanks to AAP MP Raghav Chadha for raising this issue in Parliament’s monsoon session, which led to the idea of Udan Yatri Cafés (affordable canteens) at airports across India.
Better late than never—let us hope this initiative flourishes and the issue is resolved sooner rather than later, so that travelers can finally get some much-needed relief. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) can work wonders if they collaborate on this cause. They should—and hopefully, they will.
Bhat Hilal Ahmad ( Biotech ) is a writer , and a columnist.He is keenly interested in issues pertaining to social well being and development.
