The Kochi international airport will remain closed for operation till August 26 morning in the wake of torrential rains, the Civil Aviation Ministry yesterday said. It said airlines who were found to have spiked airfares operating to an out of Trivendrum and Calicut, have been "advised" to "cap" the ticket rates. Kochi airport has been hit by incessant rains which have wreaked havoc in Kerala. According to an earlier announcement, operations at the airport had been suspended up to the afternoon of August 16. In a communication this evening, the Ministry said, "Cochin airport is closed for operations up to 8.30 AM of August 26".

It said airfares on 18 domestic routes -- 10 direct flights to and from Trivendrum and eight direct flights from Calicut are being monitored. The Ministry's advise to the airlines came as hundreds of passengers took to social media and other forums to vent their ire over the jacking up of airfares. Union Minister Sadanand Gowda "shamed" the airlines for making money out of the passengers' plight. "Today Mangalore to Bengaluru ticket rate is sky rocketed to Rs 18,000.