After Row Over India-UK International Flight Prices, DGCA Makes THIS Statement

Aviation regulator Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked all airlines - for domestic and international flights - to ensure that flight ticket prices on metasearch engine websites are not higher than the ones displayed on the carriers' websites

New Delhi: Aviation regulator Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked all airlines – for domestic and international flights – to ensure that flight ticket prices on metasearch engine websites are not higher than the ones displayed on the carriers’ websites, a senior official said on Monday.

Passengers travelling to international destinations “are requested to check the fare from concerned Airlines’ websites as metasearch engines at times do not reflect actual fare and end up with an exaggerated figure”, India’s civil aviation regulator said in a statement.

On Saturday, Sanjeev Gupta, Secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat, Union Home Ministry, had complained on Twitter that an economy-class ticket on British Airways’s Delhi-London flight for August 26 was priced ₹ 3.95 lakh.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that an economy-class ticket on Delhi-London flight has been available for between ₹ 1.03 lakh and ₹ 1.47 lakh during August.

Although the Centre had capped the lower and upper limits on all domestic airfares in India since May 25 last year, no such limits were imposed on international airfares.

Vistara, which currently operates flights on Delhi-London as well as Mumbai-London route, said on Sunday, “Pricing is always a function of supply and demand.”

“There are only 15 flights a week allowed currently on the India-UK route for Indian carriers and when there is relaxation and more capacity allowed, it will automatically bring down prices,” it said.

Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, limited special international passenger flights have been operating since July 2020 under the air bubble arrangements formed with 28 countries, including the UK.