New Delhi, 22 February, 2012

With the continued disruption and cancellation of Kingfisher flights, airfares have skyrocketed causing great deal of harassment to the passengers to complete their journeys. Airlines should be allowed to increase fares on the modest margin but they cannot take passengers for granted. It is high time the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should take strong action against erring airlines.

Shri Parimal Nathwani, Rajya sabha member from Jharkhand, in a letter to the union civil aviation minister Mr. Ajit Singh, expressed anguish over airlines taking advantage of the unprecedented disruption over Indian skies.

He wrote that despite a warning from the civil aviation regulator fares on main routes have even doubled up causing huge inconvenience to the passengers. The low cost tickets are also no longer available ever since Kingfisher started cancelling their flights, he added.

Mr. Nathwani demanded a better control and monitoring system so that such happenings were avoided and airlines refrained from taking passengers for a price-ride even during festival and holiday seasons.

He sought strong intervention of DGCA, asked for corrective action preventing the airlines from taking disadvantage of the situation and adding to the misery of already strained passengers.

He requested the minister for necessary actions at the earliest so that the fares were brought to a reasonable level giving respite to passengers immediately.

Shri Nathwani also suggested forming a special regulatory authority which can monitor price structures from time to time in various routes on the line of one in power sector, gas sector, telephone sector etc. from time to time.

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