Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia discusses airfares, on-time performance with airline advisory group

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday discussed with airline representatives about airfares on certain routes and the in-house practices followed by the carriers to monitor the air ticket prices. According to the post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the plans to increase air connectivity for regional airports to international destinations, including for upcoming Ayodhya and new Surat airports, were also discussed. He wrote: "It is the right time for small aircraft and helicopters to become a pillar of growth and strength for air connectivity in India."

The minister held a meeting with the airline advisory group that was attended by representatives of various carriers, including Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan.

In a post on social media platform X, Scindia said that he met the advisory group to discuss solutions to enhance on-time performance and "airfares on a few sectors, and in-house practices followed by each airline".

Specific details about the discussion on airfares and the particular routes could not be immediately ascertained.

There have been concerns in certain quarters about the trend of rising air ticket prices.

The minister also shared pictures of the meeting on the social media platform, saying, "Had an action-oriented brainstorming session with our young and talented small aircraft entrepreneurs to iron out regulatory, policy and operational issues. As per consensus, the DGCA will create a new special cell for helicopters and small aircraft in the near future."

It is the right time for small aircraft and helicopters to become a pillar of growth and strength for air connectivity in India.

Had an action-oriented brainstorming session with our young and talented small aircraft entrepreneurs to iron out regulatory, policy and operational… pic.twitter.com/s1wcNzWWi3

— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) December 12, 2023

(With Agency Inputs)