Most airlines fail to toe DGCA line on fare ads

Mumbai: Despite the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)'s orders to airlines to do away with misleading advertisements offering rock-bottom fares with hefty extras tagged on later, most airlines have been merrily carrying on with the same practices. The August 15 deadline, the third one this year, went by again, with only three carriers making the necessary modifications demanded by the DGCA-primarily the display of a single, all-inclusive fare in all advertisements.
According to the Aircraft Rules, 1937, non-compliant airlines can be made to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh or face imprisonment for two years. However, DGCA director-general Naseem Zaidi, feels that the remaining airlines will also fall in line. "We are holding daily meetings with them,'' he said.
The first deadline given to the airlines was February 14. When none complied, DGCA's regulations and information department in May sent out a circular notifying amendments in the relevant Rule 135 of the Aircraft Rules. It also defined the word `tariff' as one of the amendments. A new deadline of June 30 was set, which was once again extended to August 15.
21/08/09 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2009