Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said that the Tariff Monitoring Unit working under the DGCA will be further strengthened to closely monitor the airfares.

 

 

Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha today, Mr Naidu said that in addition to domestic routes, the airfares on International routes are now also being monitored. He said, whenever there is a possibility of a rise in airfares, the Ministry takes necessary action.

 

 

The Minister said, in view of the recent Indigo crisis, leading to huge cancellations of regular flights, the Ministry stepped in and capped the airfares to keep them reasonable and affordable.

 

 

The Civil Aviation Minister said, a tariff monitoring facility has been provided on the Air Sewa portal, and if any passenger feels that the airfare is excessively high, then they can send a screenshot to the Ministry through the portal. He said that after receiving the information, the Ministry will initiate action against the concerned airline. Mr Naidu said the surge in airfares generally occurs because the aviation sector is deregulated, and the airfares rise when there is a mismatch between demand and supply.