Over 100 members of two travel associations held a demonstration in the city on Tuesday in protest against Air India's decision to shift to a single platform for ticket sale and distribution.
The airline has recently switched to a single Global Distribution System (GDS), giving it exclusive access to its entire inventory.
GDS is computerised network that enables transactions between travel industry service providers, mainly airlines, hotels and tourism agencies.
The protesters - members of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Travel Federation Association of India (TAFI) - gathered outside the Air India office around 11.30 am with posters and placards, seeking a review of the new policy.
"The recent decision of the AI to work with just one Global Distribution System (GDS) partner will harm the interest of scores of travel agents, as well as the national carrier," TAFI (East) Chairman Anil Punjabi told reporters.
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Air India, however, in a statement issued on Tuesday evening, said, "The decision was taken at the highest level in the best interest of the company. In fact, after the change to the new GDS, our revenues have gone up vis a vis the revenue earned in the corresponding period last year."
In October, the airline chose UK-based firm Travelport for its ticket distribution services, severing ties with two other platforms, Amadeus and Sabre.
The national carrier has already removed its inventory from the Amadeus network.
Earlier this month, Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) had approached the Civil Aviation Ministry against AI's decision, terming the move "unwise".
Punjabi explained during Tuesday's protest that opting for just one GDS "would effectively reduce the number of air passengers" of AI, harming its overall interests.
"Those working with two other platforms will be automatically debarred from the national carrier as result of which the AI will lose out on its customer base. The move will also hurt the business interests of travel agents," he said.
A charter of demands from TAAI and TAFI has been handed over to the AI office after the protest, with a request that the message be conveyed to the airline's headquarters, Punjabi added.
A senior AI official had on December 5 said that the airlines is looking at ways to cut costs and boost revenues by migrating to a single ticket sale and distribution platform.
"Migrating to a single global distribution system will help us save as much as Rs 3,000 crore over the next six years, which will be a substantial saving for us," the official had said.
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