Govt may cut non-peak hour tariffs

New Delhi: Air travel during non-peak hours may become cheaper if reports indicating that the government may reduce airport charges during these hours turn out to be correct. The reduction of airport charges during non-peak hours may take effect by the end of this month with the start of the summer schedule.

Desperate to put an end to the ongoing debate over the hike in airport tariffs, the civil aviation ministry may also have decided to keep peak hour charges unchanged, according to sources. As a quid pro quo, airlines may be asked to scrap congestion surcharge, which they levy across all regions.

It also appears that the civil aviation ministry may have decided not to issue any fresh slots for new flights during busy hours in order to curtail congestion at airports. Allocation of flight slots, meanwhile, began on Thursday and is expected to be over by Friday.