[New Delhi]Modi Govt Planning To Put a Check Over Predatory Pricing by Airlines.PM Has expressed deep concern over it
The issue of predatory pricing by the domestic carriers will be addressed by the government shortly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing “concern” over the practice which is giving a “bad” name to the industry, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma said today.
“It (predatory pricing) is a concern of a majority of Parliamentarians, including the Prime Minister, and needs to be addressed,” Sharma, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said on the sidelines of an event,of Assocham . Civil Aviation Ministry Associated with the event
He said,that the airlines need to reduce fares and not hike them particularly when it comes to emergency travel like in medical emergency.
He said,that the issue had come up during a presentation by the Civil Aviation Ministry to the Prime Minister on draft aviation policy on Tuesday
There could be three approaches to prevent predatory pricing ways, Sharma said, adding,
“We will take the airlines into confidence and tell them that the practice (of predatory pricing) is giving a bad name to the industry.”
A mechanism can also be there through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) or
through national carrier Air India to deal with the issue
Concerns have been expressed in various quarters, including by Parliamentarians, over drastic fluctuations in air fares.
In May, a group of Parliamentarians, led by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, had met Competition Commission of India Chairman Ashok Chawla and lodged a complaint against carriers on the issue of air ticket pricing.
The ministry had last year circulated a note for internal discussion wherein it suggested steps to cap economy class air fares at minimum and maximum levels.