Air India cuts last minute flight booking prices, declares 40% discount on tickets

National carrier Air India Friday announced a 40% discount on flight tickets bought within three hours of flight departure. The airline in an attempt to provide respite to passengers reeling under sky-rocketing prices of air tickets slashed the prices to attract more fliers particularly after the shutting down of operations by Jet Airways.

The decision was taken during a commercial review meeting by Air India Friday, the company said. It also said that the travellers can buy flight tickets from all outlets which include Air India's website, mobile app, and booking counters.

The announcement will provide relief to travellers who book tickets for emergency travel and are often charged high prices.

Also Read: Air India offers 'hefty discounts' on last-minute bookings

"Such high prices are a deterrent and the national carrier has, therefore, decided that available seats within three hours of departure would be sold at a hefty discount, normally exceeding 40% of the selling price," a statement from Air India said.

The decision was taken owing to a dip in the capacity intake of the aviation sector in recent months followed by the temporary shutdown of Jet Airways' operations and the grounding of Boeing 737 Max aircraft by SpiceJet.

Also Read: Cash-strapped Air India forced to ground 20 planes

These reasons pushed the flight prices upwards leading to the capacity reduction of airlines and the resultant effect on passengers' woes in March despite the peak summer travel season.

According to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data, the 9% year-on-year passenger growth recorded in January 2019 at over 12.5 million passengers slumped to 5.6% in February and to 0.14% subsequently in March, as per a report in Livemint.

Also Read: Air India loses Rs 300 crore in 2 months due to Pakistan's airspace restrictions