Air India has started a new fare war in the skies both on the domestic and international sectors. It has also launched a daily Delhi-Chicago flight via Frankfurt on Sunday.
Air India has started summer special fares at four levels starting at Rs1,891 (all inclusive) and the highest fare would be Rs 2,901 and will be valid for 148 domestic sectors. However, for flights originating from Delhi or Mumbai, passengers will have to pay an airport development fee of Rs 200 per ticket.
Under the new structure, a Delhi-Mumbai one-way ticket would cost Rs 2,611, while the normal fare on this sector on a full fare airline would cost between Rs 5,500 and Rs 6,000. Special fares will be available for tickets purchased 30 days in advance and the tickets will be available till June 30.
However, journey on the advance tickets can be undertaken after June 30 as well. For the Delhi-Chicago sector, the ticket would be at least 30 per cent cheaper in comparison to other airlines flying that route and has been priced at Rs 46,000 for a return ticket (including taxes).
"We would like to offer these promotional fares till March next year. Summer being the peak travel season and with very competitive fares on offer, we hope 80 per cent passenger load factors," said Lalit Kapoor, sales and marketing general manager, Air India.
The airline is also offering tickets that are nearly 30 per cent cheaper than other airlines on other international routes, including London, Frankfurt, Paris, New York, Chicago and Toronto. Kapoor said the airline would also start a service to San Francisco in October, after Air India gets new aircraft in July.
Low cost carriers SpiceJet, Indigo and JetLite have also come up with special fares in the 30-day advance purchase scheme to corner the summer traffic.
The Mumbai terror attacks have put the spotlight on how India's outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems are hampering the country's counterterrorism efforts, says a US State Department report.
'Although clearly committed to combating violent extremism, the Indian government's counterterrorism efforts remained hampered by its outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems,' said the State Department's annual report on global terrorism released Thursday.
The Mumbai attackers appeared to have been well-trained and took advantage of technology, such as Global Positioning System trackers.
But 'local and state police proved to be poorly trained and equipped and lacked central control to coordinate an effective response', said the report, exposing the inadequacies in India's counter-terrorism apparatus.
The Mumbai 'attack was the most recent in a long list of lethal terrorist incidents' in India in 2008. But 'none of the perpetrators of these attacks has yet been prosecuted', the report noted.
However, in response to the Mumbai attacks, India's parliament has introduced legislation to restructure counterterrorism laws and proposed creating a National Investigative Agency to build a national-level ability to investigate and prosecute alleged terrorist activity, it noted.
Also in response to the Mumbai attacks, the Indian government amended some existing laws to strengthen the hands of security and law enforcement agencies in fighting terrorism.
Two themes have framed the public debate on the new legislation: states' rights vs. federal power, and civil liberties vs. stronger law enforcement powers, the report noted.
A special court in Mumbai on Saturday held that Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman who rampaged through the city last November, is major and above 18 years of age. The court arrived at this conclusion after examining evidences and witnesses produced by the prosecution.
Defence attorney Abbas Kazmi said that he would not challenge this order in the High Court.