The strike by the Indian Commercial Pilot Association (ICPA) of Air India on April 27, definitely led to fare hike in spot fares. In spite of the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA’s) directive to all the airlines in November not to increase fare beyond a permissible limit airlines were found charging passengers beyond the limit.

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Domestic air travel became very costly on Wednesday after the 650 pilots of Air India’s (AI) erstwhile Indian airline went on strike. Fare on the Mumbai-Delhi route rose to Rs16,584 and with a higher limit of Rs 27,635. The normal fare on this route starts from Rs 3,500.

What was shocking was that most airlines hiked fare in spite of clear instructions from the DGCA to not hike fares beyond permissible limits. For instance, fare for Indigo airlines on this route was Rs18,981 though the maximum limit given by the airline in its fare sheet is Rs12,399.

While low cost carrier (LCC) Spicejet extended support to help AI passengers and readiness to help and accommodate them on their flights, their fares painted a different picture. A Mumbai-Delhi ticket on Spicejet was Rs 6,867 though the maximum limit is Rs 11,598+3200 (fuel surcharge).

Jatin Karyekar, 27, an advertising professional from Mumbai had to shell out Rs24,000 for a Jet Airways Mumbai-Lucknow ticket which normally costs Rs9,000.

“We found it very difficult to get other airline tickets for the Air India passengers. With the increased demand for seats the airlines had hiked their fares,” said Rajesh Rateria, travel agent and chairman of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).During Diwali in November 2010, most airlines hiked their air fares due to the festival season and increased them three-fold.

As a result the DGCA and the aviation ministry had to intervene, they asked the airlines not to raise fare arbitrarily to inconveniences the public and submit a tariff-sheet with a maximum fare limit.

The spokesperson for Indigo said that there is absolutely no change in our dynamic pricing mechanism. “Spciejet denies reports of it selling tickets above the fixed maximum tariff set by the company. We  have always strictly followed  rules and regulations set by the DGCA,” said a spokesperson for Spicejet. 

On fares being hiked by private airlines, civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi said, “Even private carriers must be reasonable with respect to fares.”

In December last year, the Ministry and aviation regulator DGCA had made it mandatory for airlines to submit monthly fare updates to check exorbitant fares and instances of predatory pricing. Also, a committee had been set up to define what can be termed as predatory fare. The panel is still to submit its report.