Extra fee shouldn't be charged for check-in counter boarding passes: Aviation Ministry

NEW DELHI: In an advisory on Thursday, the aviation ministry said that airlines cannot charge extra fees for issuing boarding passes at check-in counters at airports.

At present, airlines charge around Rs 200 as a fee if a passenger wants a boarding pass issued at the check-in counter, as against online check-in.

"It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Civil Aviation that airlines are charging additional amounts from passengers for issuing boarding passes at check-in counters. Such additional amount is not in accordance with the instructions given in the aforesaid order or as per the extant provisions of Aircraft Rules, 1937," the advisory said.

The move will come as a relief to travellers who for any reason are unable to do web check-ins or use kiosks at airports.

According to a senior executive of an airline, such orders are not a very welcome move as people/individuals have to be specially deployed to issue boarding passes, so charging for this service should not be termed as an anti-consumer act, NIE reported.

"This move, moreover, may discourage people to be fully ready for their flight by opting for free-of-cost web check-in service. It may also lead to long queues at the boarding pass counter and increase the workload of airlines' staff," he said.

The advisory is issued at a time when air ticket prices have seen a drastic rise after the price of jet fuel increased exponentially.

Airfares on the busiest routes have increased by nearly 50% in the past year, which has now started to weigh on the ability of ordinary travellers to book flight tickets.

"The government should now provide relief to airlines by reducing taxes on ATF. They should also remove the fare bands (currently applicable on a 15-day rolling basis), which have been in place since the onset of the pandemic in different forms," the official said.