Airfares to Indian destinations go up

Doha: Airfares to several destinations in India, that had seen a drastic fall recently will go up from tomorrow as the Civil Aviation Authority has stepped in to control the price war among airlines companies operating in this sector.
Travel industry sources say that the normal off-season fares will come to effect from October 1, as per the directive from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Fares to some Indian destinations, particularly Calicut and Cochin had dropped by more than 50 per cent as the airlines companies entered into a price war offering heavily discounted tariffs. Traditionally, fares to these two South Indian destinations remained the highest in the region.
A circular issued by the Civil Aviation Authority a few days ago has directed all airlines companies operating flights to the subcontinent to restore the normal off-season fares, according to travel industry sources.
The price war had in fact become a boon for the large number of Indians workings in Qatar, particularly those hailing from the Southern Indian state of Kerala. Some airlines companies were offering fares as low as QR1,500 for a return ticket from Doha to Calicut or Cochin. This scenario, created after the entry of several new airlines companies to the sector, was unprecedented, with the tariffs dipping to an all- time low. A senior official of a leading airlines company operating in this sector said yesterday that the sector can not afford this situation for long.
The revised fares will be much higher than the current fares, but they are expected to be slightly cheaper compared to those existed before the peak summer season.
30/09/08 Peninsula On-line, Qatar

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Categories: Foreign Sep 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Sep 2008