Flight Reductions Could Lead To Increase In Air Fare, Consumer Body Calls Govt

In outcome of “persistent congestion,” the Adani Group-run Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) has seen intervention from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). The ministry outlined the causes of congestion in a statement on Tuesday night. These factors included airlines that did not comply to airline slot policies, an excessive distribution of slots with short time margins, and non-scheduled operations during peak hours.

The ministry instructed the airport operator to make sure all airlines follow the guidelines, expressing worry over MIAL’s lack of remedial action. The ministry’s order took effect right away, as multiple airlines announced flight cancellations beginning on Wednesday. Concerns about a possible rise in airline ticket prices as a result of fewer flights have been raised by consumer organizations. They contend that if the government does not step in to regulate airline tariffs, demand-supply economics may be upset, driving up consumer costs.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMI) suffers from congestion and excess capacity on its runways which inadvertently leads to air space congestion, where flights are forced to hover over the city for a long duration of around 40-60 minutes,” the Jyotiraditya Scindia-led ministry stated late on Tuesday night. In order to bring any sort of regularity back to the congested Mumbai airport, some forty flights will need to be canceled each day.