Private airlines hike fares to cash on AI strike

Private airlines led by low cost carriers have jacked up their fares by upto 50%on the Mumbai-Delhi sector in the wake of the strike by a section of Air India pilots who are demanding pay parity and better working conditions.

The SpiceJet Mumbai-Delhi ticket was selling at Rs 6255 today while the Bangalore flight fare was up Rs 5275, much above the normal range of Rs 3,000-4,000.

While low cost carrier Indigo is said to be charging Rs 6,234 for its Mumbai-Delhi afternoon flight, Jetlite fares for the same route stood at Rs 5,784.

Full-service carriers like Kingfisher and Jet Airways also followed suit and are cashing in on the market opportunity following the AI pilot's strike.

The Mumbai-Delhi Kingfisher flight is costing Rs 8,798 while Jet Airways hiked the ticket price to Rs 6,785.

About 800 pilots belonging to the erstwhile Indian Airlines went on a strike early today demanding pay parity with Air India pilots and better working conditions, leading to cancellation of over 20 flights, including 11 from Mumbai and disruption of many others by several hours.

The Air India management has declared the strike illegal and derecognised the Indian Commercial Pilots'' Association (ICPA) besides sealing its offices in Delhi and Mumbai.