‘No proven basis’: Centre on claims of Delhi-London flight fares touching Rs 4 lakh mark

By PTI

NEW DELHI: An economy-class ticket on Delhi-London flight has been available for between Rs 1.03 lakh and Rs 1.47 lakh during August, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Sunday.

“There are media reports claiming India-UK one-way economy class fares have touched Rs 4 lakh. These reports have no proven basis. The veracity of Shri Sanjeev Gupta’s claim has been thoroughly checked by DGCA,” the ministry said on Twitter.

“The fares offered on the Delhi-London sector (Economy class) range from Rs 1.03-1.21 lakhs for Indian carriers and Rs 1.28-1.47 lakhs for UK carriers for travel during August 2021,” it added.

On Saturday, Sanjeev Gupta, Secretary, Inter-State Council Secretariat, Union Home Ministry, had complained on Twitter that an economy-class ticket on British Airways’s Delhi-London flight for August 26 was priced Rs 3.95 lakh.

He added that economy-class ticket on Delhi-London flights of Vistara and Air India for August 26 was also priced between Rs 1.2 lakh and Rs 2.3 lakh amid college admission time in the UK.

Gupta stated he has “alerted” Union Civil Aviation Secretary P S Kharola about this matter.

After Gupta’s Twitter post, the Directorate General of Civl Aviation (DGCA) asked the airlines that operate India-UK flights currently to submit details about their fares.

While there have been lower and upper limits on all domestic airfares in India since May 25 last year, no such limits have been imposed on international airfares.

Vistara, which currently operates flights on Delhi-London as wells Mumbai-London route, said on Sunday: “Pricing is always a function of supply and demand.”

“There are only 15 flights a week allowed currently on India-UK route for Indian carriers and when there is relaxation and more capacity allowed, it will automatically bring down prices.”

Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, limited special international passenger flights have been operating since July 2020 under the air bubble arrangements formed with 28 countries, including the UK.