Airlines exploiting public: Praful Patel

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Tuesday said action will be taken against airlines if they don?t slash their fares in a week.

“Airlines are exploiting public over spot fares. The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will take action if airlines don’t cut fares within a week,” Patel told NDTV news channel.

?We have spoken to the airlines. In the last 8-10 days after the DGCA’s intervention, airlines have certainly come around and demonstrated more transparency in their fare structure.

?We feel much more needs to be done. We have advised and cautioned the airlines. They must do whatever is necessary in the larger passenger interest…The government is not regulating fares, but we can’t be a mute spectator to this astronomical levels,? the minister said.

Following stiff pressure from the government to bring down air fares, private airlines have decided to slash prices, reports said on Dec 5.

Air fares have been brought down by 20-25 per cent after the DGCA intervention in this regard.

The decision to slash down the fares was taken at a meeting by DGCA?s chief Bharat Bhusan with chief executives of low-cost airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir on Dec 4.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had Dec 3 said that the DGCA is unsatisfied with the inflated airfares and that the airlines cannot charges fares at their will.

?The exorbitant hike in airfares has caused inconvenience to passengers. Now that the aviation sector is back on high growth track, corrective action must be taken immediately,? Patel said at a press conference.

?Airlines cannot charge fares at will,” he said.

Patel?s statement had come a day after he met DGCA officials and reviewed current airfares.

According to DGCA sources, fares of most airlines have shot up at least 25% after Diwali.