Airfare Surge Amid IndiGo Crisis To Come Under Control? Govt Issues Order To..

Airfare Surge Amid IndiGo Crisis To Come Under Control? Govt Invokes Powers To Regulate Ticket Prices

IndiGo Flights Cancellation: The government has taken note of concerns regarding high airfares being charged by certain airlines during the ongoing disruption.

IndiGo Flights Cancellation: The flight-cancellation crisis at IndiGo has entered its fifth day, and on Saturday, the airline cancelled more than 400 domestic flights. The disruption has directly affected passengers, as fares on several major routes have surged to extraordinary levels amid the chaos. To protect passengers from opportunistic pricing, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has invoked its regulatory powers to ensure fair and reasonable fares across all affected routes.

The Ministry has taken serious note of concerns regarding unusually high airfares being charged by certain airlines during the ongoing disruption.

Also Read- IndiGo Crisis Day 5: Nearly 500 Flights Cancelled Amid Nationwide Operational Collapse, Passengers Face Mayhem

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According to a Ministry's press release, an official directive has been issued to all airlines mandating strict adherence to the fare caps that have now been prescribed. These caps will remain in force until the situation fully stabilises. The objective of this directive is to maintain pricing discipline in the market, prevent any exploitation of passengers in distress, and ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel, including senior citizens, students, and patients, are not subjected to financial hardship during this period.

The release stated that the Ministry will continue to closely monitor fare levels through real-time data and active coordination with airlines and online travel platforms. Any deviation from the prescribed norms will attract immediate corrective action in the larger public interest.

Meanwhile, the MoCA has directed airlines, especially IndiGo, to implement measures immediately to resolve the severe disruption to flight schedules and stabilise services without delay.

Two orders have been issued to address problems faced by the public and restore service stability, especially on IndiGo.

The order said, "It is expected: All flight schedules would stabilise and begin returning to normal midnight tonight; Full services and stability should return over the next couple of days; Passengers can track delays, if any, from home through information system installed by IndiGo and others; In the event of flight cancellation IndiGo will ensure automatic full refund for tickets."

"If passengers are stranded, they will be put up at hotels where accommodation has been booked by airlines. Special measures have been taken to ensure senior citizens are not discomfited in any manner. They will be provided with lounge access; Passengers of delayed flights will be provided with refreshments and other necessities; A 24x7 control room at the Ministry of Civil Aviation is constantly monitoring the situation on a time basis," the order further read.

Airfares on several major routes on Friday surged to extraordinary levels after IndiGo cancelled all its domestic departures from Delhi Airport until midnight.

The sudden grounding created an immediate shortage of seats, triggering a sharp rise in last-minute ticket prices across India.

An Air India one-stop flight from Delhi to Bengaluru for Friday night soared to Rs. 1.02 lakh, while Akasa Air priced the same route at around Rs. 39,000. Hyderabad routes were also hit by steep hikes. A Hyderabad–Delhi one-stop Air India flight climbed to Rs. 87,000.

(with agencies' inputs)

Source: ZeeNews
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