Delhi folks set to get cheaper tickets to fly in and out of city

There was a long-standing legal tussle over Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) levying 96% higher charges on airlines, resulting in passengers being overcharged. The Supreme Court has now directed that the matter should end by end of next month, which means that it would become cheaper for passengers to fly in and out of Delhi.

It was in December 2015 that the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) had slashed Delhi Airport charges by a steep 96% for the period starting from April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2019. Ideally, this should have resulted in an equally steep crash in airline charges and passenger fares, but DIAL continued to charge the earlier tariff, which proved heavy on the pockets of airlines and eventually, passengers.

Also read: Passengers at Delhi International Airport to avail self-bag-drop service

This led the Delhi Airport operator to take the legal route, knocking the doors of the AERA Appellate Tribunal (AERAAT), but the matter remained pending for a long time. On January 24 this year, Air India filed a special leave petition (SLP) in SC against DIAL.

Also read: This is the number of people who used IGI airport in Delhi last year

Then, on February 23, a two-Judge bench of Supreme Court heard AI's petition, after which it directed AERAAT “to take up the matter at an early date so as to dispose of the same within a period of two months from today. As prayed, list the matter in the last week of April, 2017."

(Image source: DealCurry)