New Delhi: A standing committee of Parliament chaired by YSRCP Rajya Sabha MP Vijaysai Reddy has known as the representatives of varied private airlines to seem earlier than it on April 5 to discuss the rising airfares on most flights. The panel has additionally summoned representatives the Association of Private Airport Operators (APAO).
Several airlines, together with IndiGo, Vistara, GoAir, Air India and SpiceJet are amongst those that have been requested to depose earlier than the Department Related Standing Committee for Transport, Tourism and Culture.
Exorbitant airfares on most flights are a priorityÂ
“The secretariat has sent an invitation to several private airlines and APAO to discuss this issue of urgent public importance,” information company ANI reported citing sources.
“This is a vital issue as it concerns the cause of the common man. The exorbitant airfares on most flights are a concern and therefore the panel will seek the answers and the logic behind it from the concerned authorities,” stated sources.
“With the disruption in global supply chains and high fuel prices, it is unlikely that the airlines can lower their fares, despite the huge surge in passengers travelling,” trade specialists opine.
Priyanka Chaturvedi questions authorities over hike in costs
Earlier, Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UTB) Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned whether or not the Government had issued a draft paper suggesting a hike within the costs of touchdown and parking charges for plane by 30 per cent and rising consumer growth charges by 4 instances. “This would make flight tickets becoming 30 per cent more expensive and whether Government has assessed the potential impact on commuters?” the query learn.
In reply, MoS Civil Aviation Ministry, General Dr VK Singh (Retd) had informed Parliament, “The Government of India has set up Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) in 2009, to determine the tariff of aeronautical services at Major airports, the fees to be levied on the passengers and to monitor the set performance standards of the services. As per AERA Act, 2008, as amended from time to time, major airports have been defined as airports which have an annual passenger throughput of more than 3.5 million or any airport or a group of airports notified as such by the Central Government. At present, 27 airports are Major airports under AERA Act, 2008.”
Non-major airports to be regulated by authorities
The non-major airports, which aren’t beneath the purview of ERA, are required to be regulated by the Government as per the extant provisions beneath Aircrafts Act. 1934 and Aircraft Rules, 1937, as amended from time to time.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has printed an idea paper inviting feedback of stakeholders on the proposed rules of tariff regulation for non-major airports. The idea paper proposes to categorize non-major airports into three clusters for the aim of tariff dedication with an upward revision of the present tariff at such airports.
The initiative intends to scale back regulatory uncertainties, allow the airport operators to get an affordable price of return for the property deployed by them and in addition to obtain monetary viability of operations and facilitate funding choices by the non- main airport operators/builders.
The tariff for non-major airports is to be finalized in session with stakeholders. There has been an enormous surge in air fliers domestically in India since November final 12 months. As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation home air visitors figures, over 1.27 crore folks flew in December 2022 and 1.25 crore in January this 12 months.
(With ANI inputs)
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