Ajit Singh promises to rein in sharp increase in airfares

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh is working on a proposal to rein in the sharp and sudden increase in airfares by commercial airlines , especially during peak hours and the busy season, when hapless travellers are left with no option but to pay up.

"There have been times when airfares have gone too high. That will be checked soon," the minister said in an interaction with Mail Today. "The range between the lowest and highest fares will now be determined and fixed. The airlines won't be allowed to go beyond that."He clarified that the government wouldn't regulate airfares, but "introduce a system to make airfares transparent".

The minister admitted that airline costs had gone up "tremendously" , and cited the rising cost of jet fuel and the service tax as the reasons. "The 'bucket system', through which a price slot is decided for a certain set of fliers booking tickets at a given point of time, is also affecting fares," the minister complained.

He said the people should know what the 'bucket system' is and the price range they are given should be reasonable. On the grounded Kingfisher Airlines (KFA), Singh said, "The UB Group (flagship company of Kingfisher Airlines) has not said anything on the funding of KFA. Its plan is not backed by any clear funding proposal.

Regarding the tussle between the civil aviation ministry and the UP government on setting up new airports, Singh said that the state could submit a proposal to the ministry for a new international airport at Agra.

"The steering committee of the ministry will take their proposal forward. We have in fact been writing to UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to give us land to set up nine airports across Uttar Pradesh, including Agra," the minister said. He said an international airport at Agra would take at least eight or nine years to complete. If the Airports Authority of India got land for domestic airports in other eight cities and towns in U.P., it would have benefited the people of the state, the minister added. "The U.P. government does not want airports. Agra is an exception. Akhilesh does not want to give free land for airports," Ajit Singh said, adding that more airports would generate employment and spur growth in the state.

The civil aviation ministry gave its green light for an airport at Kushinagar in UP in 2010, but, according to the minister, the state government has not allocated land to the AAI yet.

Courtesy: Mail Today