Date:14/07/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/07/14/stories/2004071402710600.htm

Back IA offers lower fares for metro-non-metro link flights

Our Bureau

New Delhi , July 13

TO boost air travel from small cities and mini-metros, the State-owned Indian Airlines (IA) is introducing the `metro-non metro' scheme from July 16.

A passenger availing himself of the scheme will have to pay only an additional Rs 1,200 for a one-way fare on the non-metro leg of the metro flight. In effect, it means that a passenger travelling under the scheme on the Delhi-Chennai-Madurai sector would pay Rs 11,940 compared to the normal fare of Rs 14,395.

In a statement here, the airline has said that the passenger can also avail himself of the normal, excursion, promotional or seven-day advance purchase fare on the metro sector to avail himself of the add-on fare of Rs 1,200 on the non-metro route. Thus, the passenger travelling on the Delhi-Chennai-Madurai sector and availing himself of the seven-day advance purchase ticket will only be charged Rs 8,675. Similarly, the add-on fare is also available for travel in executive class.

Likewise, a passenger availing himself of the scheme on the Bangalore-Delhi-Chandigarh sector will be charged Rs 11,630 as against the normal fare of Rs 13,335 while those travelling on the seven-day apex fare will be charged Rs 9,580.

On the Chennai-Delhi-Lucknow sector, a passenger will pay Rs 11,940 against the normal fare of Rs 14,535 while those booking under the seven-day apex fare would be charged Rs 8,675.

The scheme will remain in operation till October 15 this year, the IA statement said.

The scheme covers 224 metro and non-metro combinations but excludes those sectors which are linked by a direct flight such as IC 865 which operates on the Delhi-Mumbai-Goa sector or IC 168 which operates on the Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai-Delhi sector.

Passengers can fly on the non-metro sector either before or after travel on the metro sectors, the statement said.