Passengers gather at the Air India counter in Patna. Telegraph picture

Patna, May 12: An estimated loss of around Rs 150 crore during the pilots’ strike from April 27 to May 6 this year has forced Air India to go all out to woo maximum fliers.

Air India authorities today decided to extend its special fare scheme for passengers by yet another week.

Under this scheme, the fliers can get Air India tickets at reduced rates. Earlier this scheme was available till May 12, but now it has been extended to May 19.

Those opting for Air India flights on the Patna-Delhi route are getting the maximum benefit of this offer.

According to the special fare offer, a Patna-Delhi ticket is available for just Rs 4,785, and, believe it or not, one ticket will cost only Rs 2,585 if it is booked one month in advance.

“Normally our ticket rates hover between Rs 5,500 and Rs 14,000 but the special scheme is offering tickets at a much lower rate,” an Air India official told The Telegraph.

He, however, refused to comment on the number of seats available at the reduced rate price.

“Such decisions are taken at our headquarters. As far as the local office is concerned, it offers tickets at the rate that has been fixed at the headquarters,” the official said.

Air India operates three flights on the Patna-Delhi route and Airbus 320 is used in these flights. At least 140 people can fly in one flight to Delhi.

The move appears to have hit the bull’s eye, as the occupancy rates in all the three flights were around 80 per cent today.

“It is much higher than the average occupancy rate of 50 to 55 per cent,” said the Air India official.

Those involved in providing travel facilities are not surprised by the response of the fliers. “Air India is the only service provider that offers a full service flight on this route. With its fare hovering well below the rates being offered by other airlines, it is bound to be the first choice of passengers,” said the owner of a travel agency.

The private players, meanwhile, have started feeling the pinch.

“During the Air India pilots’ strike, there was a mad rush of passengers to book a seat in our flight and we even sold tickets at Rs 13,000. After the restoration of the Air India flights and its special fare offer, the rush is now gone and we are offering tickets at a much lower rate,” an official of a private airline said.

The price of a Patna-Delhi ticket in GoAir is Rs 4,833 and that of Kingfisher was Rs 5,534. For a Jet Airways flight, fliers will have to shell out Rs 4,984 and the ticket of an IndiGo flight costs Rs 4,484.

The private players, however, do not appear to be in the mood of starting a price war as of now.

“One cannot go for knee jerk reactions in such a situation. Private players would weigh their options before jumping in a price war. Moreover, they also have to keep other factors in mind like Patna-Delhi flights have to be operated with a load penalty during summer,” a source in the aviation industry said.

Load penalty means airlines cannot operate in full booking during summer months in Patna as the runway length of the airport is short and there are obstacles in the approach path, allowing the aircraft to generate the necessary thrust for a safe take-off with full load.