'Active airfare monitoring done during natural calamity'

Aviation regulator DGCA in coordination with domestic airlines concerned carries out "active airfare monitoring" to ensure that air ticket prices are not revised during natural calamity, according to the government.
"Airlines remain compliant with the regulations as long as fare charged by them does not exceed the fare structure displayed on their website," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
Concerns have been persisting over sudden spike in airfares in some sectors.
"Special attention is paid by DGCA in coordination with scheduled domestic airlines during occurrence of natural calamity period specifically for evacuation of stranded at nominal charges, carriage of relief material, operational of additional flights and ensuring that airline does not revise their airfare during such period by active airfare monitoring," the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Sinha in a separate written reply, said 99 pilots from various private airlines operated flights exceeding their duty period in 2016 and the same was found during an inspection by aviation regulator DGCA.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has norms in place for fatigue management of flight crew.
"During surveillance carried out by DGCA's team in 2016, it was observed that a total of 99 pilots of private airlines, operated flights exceeding flight duty period as laid down in the Civil Aviation Requirements," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

Out of these pilots, 64 were from SpiceJet and 27 from Jet Airways. Besides, there were six and two from Air Pegasus and True Jet, respectively, according to the Minister.