Srinagar, April 15: Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has urged the Union Aviation Ministry and the Director General for Civil Aviation (DGCI) to take urgent measures to address the sky-high air fares to J&K routes due to “illegitimate ticket fare practices” by airlines and some travel agents.
In a statement issied to Ziraat Times, KCCI said that the feedback received by the chamber about the tourist inflow to Kashmir valley by air route indicates that the rush of air travellers to the valley is increasing, as, besides the tourists, a large number of non resident Kashmiris, students and patients taking treatment outside the state are returning for celebration of Eid festival at their homes.
“At the same time we learn that some Airlines in collusion with bulk ticket booking operators are hiking the airfares at their sweet will which is not only affecting the tourist business in Jammu & Kashmir adversely but it also over burdens the non resident Kashmiris, students and patients travelling back to home in emergency to celebrate Eid festival.”
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry has earlier expressed its grave concern about such “ill advised unwarranted fare hiking practice by the concerned airlines bulk ticket booking operators”, as also observed by the Department-related Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, Government of India.
“It appears that the Airlines operators on Delhi/Jammu/Srinagar air route have not taken the clear recommendation of the said Department- related Parliamentary Committee on the subject seriously but are instead hiking the fares irrationally which tantamount to undue profiteering by the Airlines causing a hurdle to the tourist movement”, KCCI further noted.
“The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry would earnestly request the Hon’ble Minister for Civil Aviation and Director General Civil Aviation Government of India to have the recommendation of said Department related Parliamentary Committee implemented in letter and spirit without fail”, the statement added.
Pertinently, the Parliamentary Committee has recommended that there should be a mechanism with the Ministry such as capping of upper and lower prices to stop the practice of ‘predatory pricing’ or the sudden surge in prices even though price buckets are being created as per international aviation norms.
“A close watch has to be maintained by the DGCA & the Ministry and a mechanism should be devised to monitor the websites of various airlines to prevent them from misguiding passengers,” the panel had said adding that in case private airlines do not publish the correct information regarding fares, they should be penalised for it.
“The Committee observes that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has a responsibility to the travelling public and the nation at large to ensure that predatory pricing mechanism are not adopted by the airlines under the cloak of free market economy. The committee recommends the ministry should formulate a pricing mechanism for air fares to ensure that passengers are not charged exorbitant prices”.
At the same time the Chamber would like to impress upon the Airlines operating Delhi/Jammu/Srinagar route to operate additional flights to meet the growing travel to Srinagar, the KCCI statement added.
