New Delhi: Private airlines will no longer be charging extra amount for issuing the hardcopy of boarding passes at the check-in desks. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that the additional amount is not in accordance with the instructions as per Aircraft Rules, 1937.
The biggest airline of India, IndiGo used to charge ₹200 from the passengers at various airports for issuing boarding passes at the check-in desk. The practice of charging for the boarding pass at airports began during the Covid19 pandemic, when passengers were encouraged to go for contact-less check-in.
“It has come to the notice of Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) that airlines are charging additional amount for issuing boarding passes from the passengers,” the ministry said on Twitter.
It further said, “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. This has the approval of Competent Authority.”
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On May 21, 2020, the MoCA made it mandatory for passengers to do web check-in and get a boarding pass then itself during the prevalence of Covid. “Indigo has a weird kind of charging for the boarding passes. While it asked to pay at Patna airport, it did never ask anything for boarding passes at Ranchi airport,” claimed a regular flyer.
However, on May 9, 2022, the MoCA issued an order stating that airlines should encourage, facilitate and guide the passengers in doing “timely web check-in and bag tag printing” and “minimise or avoid” imposing penal charges on passengers who have not done web check-in.
The ministry on Thursday said the practice of airlines charging an additional fee for issuing boarding passes at airport check-in counters is not in accordance with the May 9 order.
