As the Indigo crisis increased air ticket rates, the government stepped in to put a cap on the opportunistic rise in rates by capping the highest fare for up to 500 km at 7,500 and up to 1,000 km at 18,000. For distances between 500 to 1,000 km, the prices have been capped at 1,200 and 15,000 for distances between 1,000 and 1,500.
This cap is, however, not applicable to business class tickets and UDAN flights. The DGCA has also asked Indigo to complete the refunds of the cancelled flights by 8 pm on Sunday, and the passengers’ baggage that has been separated by them gets delivered to them within two days. In another notice, the ministry asked the authorities not to ask for any rescheduling charges from passengers who were affected by the cancellations.
To ensure better grievance redress and refund service, Indigo has created a separate cell. The cells have been authorised to contact the affected passengers and ensure fast approval of their request without further follow-ups and delays. Indigo confirmed that automatic refunds will also continue until operations are completely back to normal. Government officials issued an order asking Indigo to deliver the separated baggage on time and to the locations given by the passengers.
It has also been asked to maintain constant touch with the passengers to ensure the timely delivery of the baggage and provide equitable compensation to them as per the prescribed rules. The order further confirmed that the flight price caps apply to all bookings, either directly through the airline’s website or through any travel agent. K Ram Mohan Naidu, the aviation minister, stated that the ministry has invoked its regulatory powers to manage the situation and ensure fair prices and compensation to the affected passengers.
The ministry also stated that it will be monitoring the fair caps to ensure that they are not violated. The same is done through coordination with the Airlines and checking fares using an online platform.
