Hand baggage fee: Fliers’ body to move CCI against private cos

NEW DELHI: An air passengers' grouping plans to file a complaint with the Competition Commission against private airlines for allegedly levying higher charges for excess hand baggage, an official of the association said on Monday.

Suspecting possible cartelisation among private carriers, the Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) is mulling moving the Competition Commission of India (CCI) -- which keeps a tab on unfair business practices across sectors.

Some airlines have hiked additional hand baggage fee after the Delhi High Court, earlier this month, set aside the capping of such charges by aviation regulator DGCA.

"We are looking to approach the CCI over the hand baggage issue as we apprehend a cartelisation... Our lawyers are collecting the required documents to put up a water tight case before the CCI," APAI Founder and President D Sudhakara Reddy said.

APAI claims to have thousands of members. According to him, it would take at least six to eight months to gather all the document and submit the petition before the CCI. On August 16, the court set aside the Rs 100 per kg fee fixed by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for excess checked-in baggage of 15-20 kg on private airlines.

The aviation regulator's order, issued in June 2016, whereby private airlines were

On August 16 the Delhi High Court set aside the ₹100 per kg fee cap fixed by the Director General of Civil Aviation for excess checked-in baggage of 15-20 kg on private airlines

allowed to charge only Rs 100 per extra kg till 20 kg was set aside after it was challenged by the airlines. Prior to this order, the charges were much higher ranging from Rs 220 to Rs 350 per extra kg.

The circular had come into effect from July 1 last year as the court had not stayed it or deferred the date of implementation. Domestic carriers allow free checked-in baggage up to 15 kg while Air India allow its passengers to carry up to 25 kilograms of baggage without levying any additional charges. The national carrier announced its new offer in a post on Twitter on August 20.

The new offer is a move by the carrier to attract more passengers as India sees a surge in number of air travellers. The debt-ridden Air India is looking to find solution to get out of the present situation, including privatisation.