Fine can’t exceed incentive under ‘zero baggage’ scheme: Govt

MoS (Independent Charge) Civil Aviation Dr Mahesh Sharma said that if a passenger reaches the airline counter with baggage even after availing the scheme, then the amount they would need to pay as penalty “cannot exceed amount of incentive offered compared to lowest fare.”

The minister said, “Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued Air Transport Circular 03 of 2015 on ‘Unbundle of services and fees by scheduled airlines’. The circular allows airlines to offer “no check-in baggage/hand baggage only” fare scheme subject to the condition that the penalty to be imposed on a passenger, who avails such schemes but turns up with baggage for check-in at airline counter, cannot exceed the amount of incentive offered compared to lowest fare.” The DGCA has already announced this scheme last month.

In a clear message to domestic airlines, Sharma said, “Although scheduled airlines are free to fix the charges/fee for the unbundled services, yet DGCA reserves the right to intervene and stop the scheduled airlines from charging for any specific unbundled services if principles such as opt-in, transparency, non-discrimination are found to be violated by the airlines.”

Aviation regulator DGCA in November this year allowed domestic airlines to introduce the “no check-in baggage/hand baggage only” fare scheme. Presently all domestic private airlines except national carrier Air India allow a flyer to carry up to 15 kg of check-in baggage free of cost while state-run Air India allows 23 kg. International and connecting flights are not part of the scheme. This move introduced in the latest Air Transport Circular for unbundling of services issued by DGCA.

The regulator has meanwhile earlier also unbundled other services, including check-in baggage charges (above 15 kg of free check-in baggage allowance), preferential seats, meal charges and fees for using airline lounges. Domestic airlines were allowed to charge customers for various facilities such as preferred seats, check-in baggage charges and use of lounges by the regulator in April this year.

In an Air Transport Circular in July, which has now been superseded by the latest circular issued in November, the DGCA had stated check-in baggage charges (above 15 kg of free check-in baggage allowance) can be charged separately.