DGCA bans spot fares
03 May 2011
In a belated move aviation sector regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has now issued instructions to private airlines to do away with 'spot fares' or tickets sold two hours prior to flight departure, till such time the crisis at Air India is resolved.
Private carriers have had a field day charging exorbitant rates with the Air India pilots' strike left thousands of passengers stranded at airports.
''DGCA had received maximum complaints regarding spot fares being hiked by the airlines in the period coinciding with the strike at Air India. Airlines specify fares from lowest to highest which fall in 12-15 price buckets. We have asked them not to charge spot fares, as it was hurting the stranded passengers,'' DGCA chief EK Bharat Bhushan said.
Spot fares must be maintained at the same level as mentioned in the beginning of the month on their websites, the DGCA chief said. The regulator also pulled up private airlines for charging Rs50 from the stranded Air India passengers as handling charges.
DGCA held a meeting with officials of all airlines on Monday to address various issues arising out of Air India's strike.
DGCA has also asked private carriers to accommodate Air India endorsed tickets on their airlines. ''The load factors of private airlines vary between 80-85 per cent, so Air India's bookings can be easily absorbed by rest,'' said Bhushan.
With peak summer travel season approaching, the regulator has warned airlines against raising any fare bucket ''extraordinarily.''
