CCI to look at air fare cartelisation soon

New Delhi: The Competition Commission today said it will take a decision on whether to probe alleged cartelisation among airliners in fixing air fares, after getting more information on the issue.

Recently, Captain Gopinath, the pioneer of low-cost airlines in the country, had talked about cartelisation in air fares. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) Chairman Ashok Chawla today said the regulator has taken note of a statement at a public platform by Captain Gopinath that there is cartelisation amongst the companies (airliners).

[caption id="attachment_539995" align="alignleft" width="380"] Chawla said the Commission has received some information on the issue of the same person heading NMDC and SAIL. Reuters[/caption]

"So, we have asked him to share whatever information he has... He has asked for a meeting (with me). We are awaiting further inputs from him before we take another look at this matter," Chawla said here. He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised by PHD Chamber.

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Chawla said the Commission had looked into this issue in the past. "We could not find any evidence of carterlisation. The decision of the Commission, then, was that movement in air fare was due to demand and supply factors, which go up or down at different points of time," he added.

Responding to another query, Chawla said the Commission has received some information on the issue of the same person heading NMDC and SAIL.

"Some information has been filed with us. We are looking at it and we are still to take a call (on the issue)," he said.

SAIL Chairman C S Verma is also the head of NMDC, a scenario which is allegedly anti-competitive. In response to a query on alleged oil price carterlisation, Chawla said the Commission was awaiting information from the Petroleum Ministry.

"We have asked the Petroleum Ministry to give us information on the way (sector works) and how all of them come to the same kind of price. We are awaiting their response," he noted.

PTI