CMs unite for fair airfare

Rising fares affect tourism, hospitality sectors; state CMs to take up issue with Civil Aviation Minister

A quartet of high-profile cabinet ministers from four states have added their voices to the rising chorus of discontent against the exorbitant and arbitrary fares being charged by airlines an issue first reported by MiD DAY (see box).

In exclusive conversations with MiD DAY, the chief ministers of Goa, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and the deputy chief minister of Bihar expressed concern about the impact of the high fares on travellers and promised to bring up the issue with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel.


The chief ministers of Goa, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and the deputy chief minister of Bihar expressed concern about the impact of the high fares on travellers and promised to bring up the issue with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel

Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat of the Congress said, "I feel there should be some rationalisation of airfares and airlines should not be allowed to decide airfares arbitrarily.

These fares affect the common people and the ministry concerned should discuss the issue with the airlines. I will also discuss the issue with the Civil Aviation Minister."

Sheila Dikshit, Congress CM from Delhi, called for fair airfares. "I have been following the issue for a few days and I can only say that the fares should be fair for all travellers."

Himachal Pradesh CM Prem Kumar Dhumal of the BJP said, "I think this is a very serious issue. We have already brought up the problem with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and will continue to follow it up until a solution is found.

I feel the government at the Centre has shown a weakness in controlling the airlines and regulating the fares.
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It saddens me to see that fares to Nepal and other destinations abroad are cheaper than those of in the domestic sector.

It makes me feel as if hill stations like Shimla are being punished, for their fares are almost 10 times higher than those of some international tourist destinations."

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi of the BJP said a new regulatory body is needed to keep airfares in check. "It is unfair to raise fares to this level.
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The airlines seem to be taking undue advantage of people's preference for taking flights. A regulatory body should be formed by the government to keep a check on airfares," he said.

"The regulatory body should also look into the interest of airlines but should not allow them to use their monopoly in deciding fares to the detriment of the common man.

Our MPs have raised the issue in Parliament and have even met the Civil Aviation Minister to ask him to find a solution to the problem," added Modi.

MiD DAY impact
MiD DAY was the first to report on airfares touching an all-time high on u00a0November 13.
MiD Day revisited the fares on November 23 and found that they were still u00a0the same.
After the reports, the DGCA issued a circular to all airlines to ensure transparency in fares. The circular asked airlines to furnish a copy of the u00a0u00a0route-wise tariff across its network in various fare categories, in the manner it is offered in the market,u00a0 to DGCA on the first day of every calendar month.
The airfares came down by nearly 30-35 per cent following the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA's intervention.

Number Crunching
- Around 51 outgoing and 54 return daily flights connect Mumbai with Delhi
- Around 24 outgoing and return daily flights connect Goa to Mumbai
- At least four direct flights and eight connecting flights link the city with Patna
- More than 12 connecting flights via Delhi and Ahmedabad connect Shimla to Mumbai
- Around 30 outgoing and 30 return daily flights link Bangalore to the city