Govt refuses airlines to mount more flights

New Delhi, Mar 19 (UNI) Airport authorities have refused airlines to mount additional flights due to infrastucture constrainsts.

As summer schedule come into effect by this month-end, the number of flights by each airline will be restricted to the same, what was there in winter schedule.

The decision emerged after domestic airline officials met civil aviation secretary Ashok Chawla, chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) K Ramalingam and director general of civil aviation Kanu Gohain.

An official spokesperson said after the meeting that the maximum number of flights per peak hour will be restricted to 30 in Delhi and Mumbai -- the country's busiest airports.

The peak hour lasts from 0800 hrs to 1200 hrs.

Government officials also insisted during the meeting that airlines declare on their websites that congestion charge being charged from passengers does not go into the government's kitty like the passenger service fee (PSF).

Also, the PSF should be returned to a passenger if he or she does not check in.

Congested waiting areas, lack of comfortable seating and slow baggage handling are common features at the three airports as introduction of many budget airlines and a booming economy have led to unprecedented growth in air travel.

Rush at these airports leads to a chain reaction and piling up of flights at other airports as well.

Several airlines have imposed a congestion charge of Rs 150 per passenger per route across the country to compensate for excess jet fuel being wasted.

UNI