Domestic airfare bands to go when flights reach pre-Covid levels: Puri

NEW DELHI: Domestic airfare band, that fixes the minimum and maximum fares that can be charged for different routes, may go when the summer schedule kicks in from April, aviation minister H S Puri said in Parliament on Wednesday .
The minister stated that capping airfares was an “extraordinary measure” which may be done away with once domestic flights each pre-Covid levels.
“It is not our intention… It also cannot be in an open, deregulated market situation to have fare bands (as) a permanent feature. So, it is our expectation that when flights open up to pre-Covid levels in this summer schedule, we would not have the need for a price band,” he said.
While winter schedule is from last Sunday of October to last Saturday of March, summer schedule is from last Sunday of March to last Saturday of October.