AI offers 'rescue' fares to stranded international passengers of Jet Airways

Air India on Thursday announced special fares to international passengers of Jet Airways who have been stranded due to the grounding of the airline.

The state-owned carrier's decision came hours after the civil aviation ministry asked airlines to look at whether there can be "rescue fares" for stranded passengers of Jet Airways.

The "special stranded" fares have been offered to passengers at overseas airports such as Paris, London Heathrow, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Dammam, and Muscat, among others, Air India said in a statement.

As a gesture of goodwill and to mitigate the hardship of the '9W' (Jet Airways flight code) at international stations, Air India would offer special fares to such passengers.

Passengers holding confirmed return tickets on Jet Airways would be allowed to avail special stranded passenger fares from the destinations common with Air India, the statement said.

In New Delhi, Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said that during a meeting with airlines, they were asked whether there can be "rescue fares" for stranded passengers of Jet Airways.

Air India is the first airline to respond to that request, he added.

After flying for over 25 years, Jet Airways was grounded last night when its final flight, a Boeing 737, touched down at the Mumbai airport early Thursday after departing from Amritsar.

However, the airline stopped its international operations from April 11, leaving its passengers in the lurch at several international airports across across the world.