Make ticket fare public, says Directorate General of Civil Aviation

Amid reports of exorbitant fares being charged by airlines, especially in the Mumbai-Delhi sector, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued instructions on monitoring fares of all airlines each month.

Airlines have also been directed to publish their fares on their websites and in daily newspapers.

An official statement said all airlines have been directed to provide DGCA route-wise tariff across their networks in various fare categories. This information will have to be given in the same manner as it is offered to buyers on the first day of every calendar month.

The regulator has also mandated that any “significant and noticeable” change in the established tariff already filed with it should also be reported to the DGCA within 24 hours of such changes being effected.

But will airlines be able to comply with this diktat? Most say fares change even during the day, depending on seat availability in each flight.