Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Reviews Airline Operations; Urges Reasonable Airfares During Festive Season
The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, and senior ministry officials, along with representatives from major carriers.
DGCA directed to keep strict watch on tariff compliance and passenger grievance redressal
New Delhi, October 11: Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu chaired a comprehensive monthly review meeting on Friday with top domestic airlines to assess operational and technical performance, with a strong emphasis on safety, service quality, and passenger facilitation.
The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, DGCA chief Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, and senior ministry officials, along with representatives from major carriers including Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Alliance Air, Fly91, FlyBig, and IndiaOne Air.
Airlines presented detailed performance metrics and action-taken reports on security incidents, fleet management, and passenger grievances. Discussions focused on improving safety oversight, strengthening grievance redressal systems, and enhancing passenger experience.
Emphasizing strict adherence to safety and service standards, Minister Naidu urged airlines to keep airfares reasonable during the upcoming festive season, warning that sharp fare spikes would not be tolerated. Airlines assured the government that additional flight capacities have been deployed on high-demand routes to handle festival traffic and that passenger convenience remains their top priority.
The Minister also directed the DGCA’s Tariff Monitoring Unit to maintain strict vigilance on airfare trends and ensure compliance with the fare range declared by carriers.
Reviewing the airlines’ grievance redressal performance, Naidu instructed operators to resolve passenger complaints qualitatively and promptly. The AirSewa portal, which facilitates passenger complaints, has now been upgraded to accept fare-related grievances as well.
In line with the Prime Minister’s vision, the Minister also encouraged airlines to integrate Swachhta principles into their operations and sustainability practices. He lauded the aviation industry’s efforts toward adopting advanced technologies and eco-friendly operations.
The Ministry said these periodic review meetings have been institutionalized to ensure continuous coordination and stronger regulatory oversight between the government and airline operators.
