Airfares: Praful spreads cheer
The government on Friday rejected the sky-high fare ceilings submitted by airlines to the DGCA this week that show that some airlines are already charging last-minute fares of over `40,000 on distances beyond 1,400 km and as much as about `24,000 even on short distance routes below 750 km.
Civil aviation minister Praful Patel said the fares should be “sector-wise”, “category-wise” and “time-period wise” (that show air fares from “point A to point B” on any specific day) and should not be based on distance. The “exorbitant” and outrageous fare slabs mentioned by airlines were also made public by the ministry on Friday. “These slabs (based on distance) do not merit any consideration,” Mr Patel told reporters, adding that the DGCA would take action against erring airlines under rule 135 of the Aircraft Act of 1937 if passengers were charged exorbitant fares at the last minute during the Christmas and New Year season. The government also announced the establishment of an economic advisory council to look into several aspects, including transparency by airlines in disclosure of air fares. Airline representatives have been summoned by the DGCA to a meeting on Saturday.
But what’s shocking is that low cost carrier JetLite, for instance, has mentioned `40,298 as the highest fare level in the over-1,400-km slab. Even national carrier Air India has submitted `30,811 as the highest fare in the same slab.
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