As India prepares for Diwali, airlines asked to keep air tickets reasonable; IndiGo, Air India, other airlines promise additional flights on busy routes

The Centre has urged domestic airlines — the likes of IndiGo and Air India — to ensure reasonable fares and frequencies during the ongoing festive season, in order to ensure a fair experience for citizens. In a monhtly review meeting with representatitves from several airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air and Alliance Air, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu sensitised domestic airlines to “keep airfares reasonable during the festive season”. The development comes days ahead of Diwali, which marks the onset of the core festive season in the country that typically lasts till February. 

The minister also assesd the domestic air carriers’ operational and technical performance at the meeting, with a special focus on safety and passenger facilitation. Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha and Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Faiz Ahmed Kidwai attended the meeting along with other senior officials.

Representatives from airlines Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Alliance Air, Fly91, FlyBig and IndiaOne Air showcased their performance metrics and action taken reports on security incidents and passenger grievances at the meeting. Besides, thorough discussions took place on areas like safety oversight, fleet management and passenger-centric initiatives at the meeting. 

Adopt best practices in passenger convenience and service: Centre to domestic airlines   

Emphasising strict adherence to safety protocols, the Civil Aviation Minister urged the carriers to adopt best practices in passenger convenience and service quality, engaging in detailed discussions with them on identifying bottlenecks in operations and addressing their challenges.The government also directed the airlines to “remain reasonable across sectors” during the festival season, according to an official statement. 

ALSO READ: Air India flight from Vienna to New Delhi diverted to Dubai 

The airlines assured the minister that passenger convenience will continue ot be their top priority during this period, stating that additional flight capacities have been deployed on high-traffic routes.

Naidu also reviewed grievance redressal initiatives undertaken by airlines, asking them to qualitatively close passenger grievances in a timely manner, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry. 

The airlines were also encouraged to embed the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Swachhta’ (cleanliness) in their operations, practices and service delivery, with the Civil Aviation Minister praising them for their collective efforts in making the country’s aviation space more sustainable through the adoption of advanced technologies and environmentally responsible practices.

The Civil Aviation Minister conducts periodic reviews of private domestic airlines to strengthen monitoring and coordination on operational matters.

ALSO READ: Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet issue travel advisories