Aviation Regulator Assures Mechanism To Curb Airfare Surge, MPs Flag Safety
The aviation regulator DGCA said on Tuesday it will put in place a mechanism to curb whopping surge in air ticket prices, recently witnessed during the Maha Kumbh and post-Pahalgam terror attack, as the issue coupled with concerns over air safety after the Ahmedabad plane crash dominated proceedings at a parliamentary panel meeting.
Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson told the committee his airline will complete retrofitting of its fleet in two years to address frequent complaints about its seats and other facilities, and underscored its commitment to flight safety, sources said.
An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner carrying over 240 people had crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, killing all but one person aboard in one of the worst aviation disasters that has brought the issue of air safety into sharp focus.
Some members of the Public Accounts Committee, led by Congress MP KC Venugopal, demanded an audit of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, citing a spate of incidents concerning operational safety, and asked when the probe report into the crash will be ready.
With the probe still going on, there was no detailed discussion on the Ahmedabad crash, and members confined themselves to broader concerns about safety.
Mr Venugopal told reporters after the meeting that the committee members were all worried about safety issues, with NCP MP Praful Patel noting that several incidents following the crash were reported and that every passenger wants to feel safe about their journey.
Members grilled official agencies over what some of them described as an "arbitrary" surge in air ticket prices and cited a host of examples, including the manifold hike in fares for planes flying from Srinagar after the Pahalgam terror attack and during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, according to the sources.
When an official said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will be talking to airlines to have a consensus on developing a mechanism against it, a BJP member shot back wondering if the unfair practice will continue for want of consensus while some other MPs added that the aviation regular has the remit to take action.
The DGCA said it will be putting guidelines in place to curb any unreasonable surge in prices, the sources said.
Amid complaints of broken or uncomfortable seats in Air India planes and other issues of passenger convenience, an MP in the meeting recalled his recent visit abroad in the business class of the airline, highlighting his discomfort caused by the condition of the seat.
Air India CEO Wilson said his airline is working to address these concerns and will do an overhaul of its fleet in two years.
Some members demanded an overall safety audit of all flights in operation, with the DGCA asserting that it has kept passengers' well-being paramount.
One of the MPs sought to know from the ministry officials about the time frame for completing the analysis of the aircraft's black boxes, the sources said. A member, sources said, claimed that while user charges have risen, the convenience for travellers has declined.
Patel, a former civil aviation minister and a member of the committee, said MPs had valid concerns about the price surge. It falls within the jurisdiction of the DGCA and the ministry, and they should invoke existing provisions to maintain ticket prices at a reasonable level, he added.
On safety, he said the DGCA needs more skilled experts at the senior level, suggesting that it should reemploy retired officials with requisite expertise to fill the gap.
It will help ensure that all safety standards are fully complied, he said.
An audit of the entire sector and all aircraft may be done at the earliest to restore passenger confidence, he said, while insisting that Indian aviation is safe and there is no need to panic.
Officials from the civil aviation ministry, DGCA, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Ltd (AAICLAS) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), among others, attended the meeting.
Top officials of various airlines, including Air India, SpiceJet and IndiGo, and companies involved in airport operations like Adani Airport Holding Limited were also present.
The agenda of the meeting was to take oral evidence of the representatives of the ministry, DGCA, AERA, AAI and other organisations concerned, including airport operators and airlines, on the subject 'Levy and regulation of fees, tariffs, user charges, on public infrastructure and other public utilities', according to the Lok Sabha website.
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