NEW DELHI: Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the government is keeping a close eye on airfares and will ensure ticket prices do not become unreasonably expensive.
“We definitely monitor this aspect in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. There is also a tariff monitoring unit that constantly keeps an eye on high-demand routes during the season. Our effort is to ensure that things do not go overboard in any sector and that airfares do not go overboard," Naidu said, while responding to media queries after the signing of an agreement by regional airline FLY91 for 40 ATR72-600 planes.
The minister added that the same has been communicated to all stakeholders. “Whenever extraordinary circumstances arise, that is when we impose the cap on airfare,” Naidu said.
To a query on the government’s stand on dope testing of pilots across airlines, Naidu reiterated that the centre is keen that all pilots across airlines be tested. However, public safety and the logistics involved for airlines both need to be balanced.
“One proposal was to have all pilots tested at random times throughout the year. This proposal is being discussed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation with the necessary stakeholders. We can arrive at a decision once thorough consultations are completed. On one side is safety and on the other side are operations; we have to balance the two,” Naidu said.
As per the present regulations in place, only 10% of pilots are tested by airlines on a random basis.
After the pilot on Air India’s Phuket-Delhi flight, which met with an accident, later tested positive for marijuana, the issue of pilots and substance abuse has occupied centre stage. Air India and Air India Express are mandatorily carrying out drug tests on around 5,000 staff members.
A total of 20 passengers and four crew members sustained injuries in the accident on August 4. To a query on the status of the investigation, the Minister said, “The Air India Phuket incident is currently under investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, and a preliminary report is expected to be released very soon. After that, we will decide what further action needs to be taken.”
To a query on the operational and financial crisis being faced by SpiceJet airline, Naidu said the government generally engages with all airlines to understand the issues they face and has been interacting with SpiceJet, too. “We have been pushing them to step up their operations, mainly the financial side of it. They have also assured us that they will be doing it quite soon."
