The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry has been expressing its grave concern over the uncertain exorbitant air fares which has been adversely affecting the tourist business of J&K and the travel movement of sick, aged, students and businessmen. However now Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, having taken the stock of situation emerging out of irrational mechanism adopted by some operators in league with some airlines manipulating the air fare, the KCC&I hails the said Department related Committee for making the appropriate recommendations/observation like: “The Committee recommends that there should be a mechanism with the Ministry such as capping of upper and lower prices to stop the practice of ‘predatory pricing’ or the sudden surge in prices even though price buckets are being created as per international aviation norms, a close watch has to be maintained by the DGCA & the Ministry and a mechanism should be devised to monitor the websites of various airlines to prevent them from misguiding passengers,” the panel said that in case private airlines do not publish the correct information regarding fares, they should be penalized for it. “The Committee observes that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has a responsibility to the travelling public and the nation at large to ensure that predatory pricing mechanism are not adopted by the airlines under the cloak of free market economy. The committee recommends the ministry should formulate a pricing mechanism for air fares to ensure that passengers are not charged exorbitant prices,”.
Now accordingly the KCC&I would urge and earnestly request the Hon’ble Minister of Home Affairs, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation Government of India and also the Director General, Civil Aviation to ensure implementation of the recommendation made by the said Department- related Committee in letter and spirit without fail and any further delay. In the meantime the Airlines should operate additional flights to meet the Tourist rush for visiting short lived Tulip garden. Furthermore, this is also the time for the return of local citizens, students and non resident Kashmiris.
