Daily News & Analysis
       
BANGALORE, Dec 7: Harried by additional losses due to landing delays, private airlines have turned rebellious. On Tuesday, they refused to heed civil aviation minister Praful Patel’s call to not levy the Rs 150 congestion charge.
 
“Such a surcharge is not levied anywhere. Why should the airlines levy a congestion surcharge...in that case they have an option to fly during the non-peak hours,” Patel said.
 
He also said airlines flying in and out of non-metro airports, where congestion is minimal, had no right to levy congestion charge.
 
But carriers such as Air Deccan, which have not yet levied the charge, are committed to levying it Deccan COO Warwick Brady said, “We absolutely cannot heed to the request. We are now seriously considering levying the surcharge. The government has to do something on the airports and fast. Instead of working with the airlines, the government is only regulating them. They must change (their attitude) and put in more effort to improve aviation infrastructure in the country,” said an angry Brady. Brady’s suggestions made to the government on improving country’s aviation standards has obviously gone unheeded.
 
Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines is also as defiant, The carrier was the first to levy the charge.
 
“We will not roll it back,” a Kingfisher Airlines spokeswoman told DNA Money. Air Sahara, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and others will follow whatever line the industry takes. 
 
“We will go with the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) decision,” said a SpiceJet executive.
 
“I will call for a meeting (on the issue). I am not happy with the way the airlines are levying congestion surcharge from the passengers. This is not right. They are free to hike fares but should not levy congestion surcharge,” Patel told reporters on the sidelines of an International Air Transport Association seminar on cargo business in India.
 
The minister said he would ask state-owned carrier Indian Airlines not to levy any such congestion surcharge.
 
Airlines are heavily losing because of air traffic jams at airports. The average time that they hover over a busy airport is between 30 minutes and one hour. This results in huge fuel burn - calculated at Rs 2500 a minute — that hits their already red bottomline.