DGCA cracks whip on airlines found overcharging fares

Mumbai: Even as hopes begin to emerge that the impasse between the management of Jet Airways and its pilots will be broken soon, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has cracked the whip on erring airlines which were making huge profits by fleecing fliers stranded because of the pilot strike at Jet.
Ever since 500-odd pilots of Jet literally clipped the airline's wings by calling in sick en masse, Jet was forced to approach other airlines to accommodate its passengers. "We are accommodating 30 percent of domestic passengers on our own flights and the remaining in other flights. In the case of international passengers, we will accommodate 20 percent of passengers on our own flights and remaining on other foreign carriers," said Jet's Chief Commercial Officer Sudheer Raghavan.
However, Jet passengers complained that other airlines were fleecing them by arbitrarily charging 2-3 times more than normal fare.
The complaints soon reached the ears of DGCA, which immediately swung into action by issuing notices to all domestic airlines to charge fares on a par with those of the week ending September 6.
Though the airlines pleaded that hike in fares reflected the sudden spurt in demand and passenger capacity and they were not "milking anyone," DGCA warned of strict action against airlines found to be violating their diktat under Rule 135 of the Aircraft Rules of 1937.
11/09/09 International Business Times

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Sep 2009, Jet Airways Sep 2009