On June 23, the airline announced in a press release that the Interglobe Aviation-run IndiGo airline is offering a discount of up to 10 percent on the base fares to the passengers who have been vaccinated against the global COVID-19 pandemic.
IndiGo is the first airline in the country to grant such concessions to its passengers who have received the COVID jab. The most considerable domestic airline in terms of market share in India, IndiGo becomes the first airline in the country to give its patrons a discount for getting vaccinated at a time period when the Ministry of Civil Aviation has hovered a fare cap on seat pricing.
IndiGo announced it anticipates its move to encourage more people in India to go and take the COVID-19 vaccine.
The airline stated in a press release, “Being the largest airline in the country, we feel it is our responsibility to contribute to the national vaccination drive, by encouraging more people towards this common goal. This offer will not only strengthen their resolve towards vaccination but also ensure that they can travel safely at affordable fares with IndiGo,”.
IndiGo stated that the offer is only available to vaccinated passengers aged 18 years and over, who are stationed in India at the time of booking and have already taken a Covid-19 vaccine in the country.
Further, the airline mentioned in the press release, “Passengers who have availed the offer at the time of booking shall be required to furnish a valid Covid-19 vaccination certificate, issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Therefore, a passenger can present their vaccination status on the Aarogya Setu mobile application at the airport check-in counter/boarding gate,”.
On June 1, The Ministry of Civil Aviation had extended the cap on domestic seat pricing in India to evade voracious pricing by airlines in the domestic market. The ministry has also shirked the cap on domestic seating capacity to 50 per cent.
The move to offer customers a discount if they have been vaccinated is something that has been ratified by airlines globally. In many European countries, airlines are also binding up with health authorities to grant customers a chance to get vaccinated on entry to increase the vaccination course. In India, numerous restaurants are also granting discounts to customers who have been vaccinated.
Vaccination of a majority portion of India’s population is vital and crucial in the country’s fight against the pandemic and to recover to a pre-COVID normal. Government experts said that the quick vaccination is the solution to reopening the economy and continued that the government endeavours to vaccinate one crore people, every day.