Govt To Review Fare of Repatriation Flights Operated Under VBM

After several lawmakers expressed concern about the exorbitant fare being charged from the passengers the govt of India may soon review the fare pricing policy for repatriation flights being operated by Indian carriers under the Vande Bharat Mission.

Under the Vande Bharat Mission, which started on May 6, more than 2.2 million passengers have been flown home.

As per the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 7,236 repatriation flights were operated by the Air India Group under the Vande Bharat Mission till October 20, carrying over 9.41 lakh passengers. Of these, 3,618 were inbound flights carrying 5,94,403 passengers and 3,618 were outbound flights with 3,47,012 fliers.

The government has also created temporary air transport bubbles, or reciprocal arrangements with other countries, under the Vande Bharat Mission.

Till now, India has signed air bubble agreement with 18 countries which include, The United States, the UK, Germany, France, the UAE, Maldives, Canada, Japan, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Bhutan, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Ukraine.

At a recent interaction with lawmakers, civil aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola also heard complaints related to refund of fares and cancellation charges with the exception of exorbitant fares, the people cited above said. Leaders including the Revolutionary Socialist Party’s NK Premachandran pointed out that for flights between the Gulf region and Kerala, passengers were being charged six to eight times the peak season fares.

The civil aviation ministry also faced several complaints about delays in the refund of tickets and therefore the imposition of cancellation fees.

Lawmakers discovered that a lot of passengers had not received full refunds even after the Supreme court order. The ministry also faced several complaints about delays in the refund of tickets and the imposition of cancellation fees.

Also Read: Air Bubble: Indians Can Now Travel to 18 Countries | Check Full List And Eligibility