'Govt can only request airlines to lower fares during crisis'

Asserting that globally air fares are "unregulated," Union minister Mahesh Sharma today said the government can only request airlines to keep their ticket prices low during an extraordinary situation such as the ongoing Jat quota stir in Haryana.
The Minister of State for Civil Aviation also said the government has immediately stepped in and instructed airlines to mount additional capacity as a measure to keep air fares under control in view of the agitation.
He was responding to a question on reports that some airlines were "overcharging" and that some travel portals were exhibiting fares as high as Rs 89,000 for a flight to Delhi from Chandigarh.

"It was brought to my notice that tickets are being sold at high prices. The ministry immediately contacted all airlines including national carrier Air India and requested them to increase the number of flights (to keep the fares under control," Sharma told reporters on the sidelines of a tourism event here.
Domestic carriers including Air India operated additional flights to Chandigarh, Amritsar and Jaipur to enable people reach their destinations, who were stuck due to the rail and road transport services coming to halt due to agitation.
Sharma said the carriers responded "positively" to the Civil Aviation Ministry's request for additional flights with Air India even keeping its ticket prices below Rs 4,000.

On the fares issue, he, however said, "Since globally air fares are not regulated, we can only request and suggest (domestic) airlines to keep fares low in a situation like this (agitation).