According to the aviation minister, airlines cannot charge any additional fee or any amount while issuing a boarding pass at the counter while checking in at the airports
Airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Go First, are currently charging a fee of Rs 200 if a person is issuing a boarding pass at the check-in counter. But, that has been changed now. According to the aviation minister, airlines cannot charge any additional fee or any amount while issuing a boarding pass at the counter while checking in at the airports.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, took to Twitter to announce the official statement. An excerpt from the tweet read, "In view of the above, the Airlines are advised not to charge any additional amount for issuing boarding passes at the airport check-in counters, as the same cannot be considered within the 'tariff' as provided under Rule 135 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937."
The charging of an additional fee for issuing a boarding pass at the check-in counter is not in terms with the provisions of Aircraft Rules, 1937, the Ministry of Aviation pointed out.
A couple of years ago, on May 21, 2020, the ministry made it mandatory for passengers to get the boarding pass via web check-in and carry it. However, on May 9, 2022, the ministry told the airlines to help the passengers navigate the process of web check-in and how to get bag tags printed. Along with this, the ministry of aviation had also asked to reduce and avoid imposing penal charges on passengers in case they have not done their web check-ins.
This decision will surely bring relief to domestic passengers. Now, they do not have to worry about paying extra and can stand in airport queues and finish their web check-in before boarding the plane.
However, at times when jet fuel prices are soaring and the US dollar exchange rate is at an all-time low, airports have nothing but to hike the price. This has an impact on the recovery of air traffic, which was already trying to repair the damage from the Omicron wave.