The Civil Aviation Ministry is seriously contemplating to address the issue of excessive fares by airline operators.
Speaking to reporters in Ooty, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that his ministry has called for a meeting of airline operators to discuss the issue.
Sharing an analysis made by the Ministry, he said, “It has been revealed that 1.7 per cent of tickets sold fell under the category of excessive fares. It also revealed that these tickets were issued to thosetravelling in select routes.”
A meeting with the airline operators is slated for Tuesday evening to see what steps could be taken to address this issue, he said. He added, “It was also raised in the Rajya Sabha recently. It is an unregulated market the world over.”
Reverting to heliport for the Nilgiris, he said, “The Ministry is open to a proposal from the State Government. In fact, West Bengal has agreed on a risk-sharing basis; likewise if the Tamil Nadu Government seeks one, there would be no objection.”
However, we will leave it to the market forces to study the viability of operating helicopters from Ooty to the nearest cities, he said.