Budget airline IndiGo will now charge a passenger Rs 100 service fee if they want to check-in at the airport counters from Saturday onwards, the airline said in a statement.
The aviation ministry had in May made it mandatory for passengers to do web check-in so as to reduce touch points at the airport amid the coronavirus pandemic. Once web check-in is done, the online boarding pass is issued by the airline to the passenger. Most airports also insisted on passengers showing their boarding pass even before entering the airport, either digitally or a physical copy.
"IndiGo has introduced a service fee of INR 100 for check-in at the airport counters effective October 17, 2020," the company said in its statement.
"We encourage all passengers to web check-in as per the Government directive, using our website or mobile app. The check-in fee at the airport counters is applicable on all bookings made, starting from today i.e. October 17, 2020," it noted.
The low-cost carrier said it is committed to take all precautionary measures for a contactless and hassle-free travel experience for its customers.
Scheduled domestic passenger services resumed in India on May 25 after a gap of two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Post this, a standard operating procedure released by the Union Government stated that only passengers with confirmed web check-in will be allowed to enter an airport terminal. The Ministry of Civil Aviation also said that there will be no physical check-in at counters from May 25.
Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country since March 23 due to the pandemic.
This additional charge also comes at a time when the aviation industry is grappling with losses amid curbed travel. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) had said in a statement in August that India’s aviation industry requires a capital infusion of around $5 billion for it to stay afloat. It further added that the consolidated industry losses is expected to be as much as $6-6.5 billion this fiscal due to COVID-19.