DGCA tells airlines to maintain fares

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked airlines not to charge fares more than what was being charged in the week ending September 6. Private airlines, however, say that DGCA cannot give such orders and this cannot be enforced.

“It has been brought to the notice of DGCA through search of websites of airlines and media reports, as well as feedback from air travellers, that scheduled domestic airlines are charging exorbitantly high tariff, which is almost three to four times higher on various metro routes, compared with those prevalent in the week ending September 6, 2009,” read the letter sent to the airlines.

Peak hour fares available on the internet showed an increase of 50 to 100 per cent, owing to the sudden reduction of capacity due to cancelled flights. On a Delhi-Bangalore route, Kingfisher normally charges Rs 6,000 (one way). The fare rose to Rs 12,500. Low-cost carriers have upped Delhi-Bangalore ticket prices from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,500, according to makemytrip.com data yesterday. Private airlines refute this order. “This advisory is ridiculous because DGCA has no right to fix fares, which is based on demand and supply basis. This is just an attempt by the government to show that they are sympathetic to the passengers and nothing more than that. This order cannot be enforced,” said a senior official of a private airline.