Customers with no baggage
MUMBAI, Feb 27: Aviation regulator DGCA on Friday allowed airlines to provide concessions in air fares to customers travelling with no check-in baggage.
The move comes days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) provided greater flexibility to domestic carriers on fixing ticket prices by increasing the minimum fare band on domestic flight tickets.
“As part of airline baggage policy, scheduled airlines will be allowed to offer free baggage allowance as well as zero-baggage/no check-in baggage fares,” DGCA said in a circular on unbundling of services issued on Friday.
This will be subject to the condition that the passenger booking ticket under such fare scheme is made aware of the charges that shall be applicable if the passenger turns up with the baggage for check-in at airline counter, it stated.
The circular further said on the basis of various feedback received, it is felt that many times these services provided by the airline may not be required by the passenger while travelling.
Considering the fact that unbundling of services and charges thereto have the potential to make basic fare more affordable and provides consumer an option of paying from the services which he wishes to be availed, it has been decided by the government to allow certain services to be unbundled and charged separately on opt-in basis, the DGCA said.
Int’l passenger flights: Aviation regulator DGCA on Friday extended the suspension of international commercial passenger flight services till March 31.
Scheduled international flight operations were suspended from March 23 last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
“In partial modification of circular dated June 26, 2020, the competent authority has further extended the validity... regarding scheduled international commercial passenger services to and from India till 23.59 pm IST of March 31, 2021,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a circular.
However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on select routes by the competent authority on case-to-case basis, it said. The restriction will not apply to cargo flights and flights specifically approved by DGCA, the circular added. – PTI
