New Delhi, April 2: The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) has initiated action against Kingfisher Airlines-owned low-cost carrier Simplifly Deccan for a lack of transparency in offering a zero basic fare.

The fair trade regulator has issued a notice to the airline based on the findings of the director general of investigation and registration, an investigative wing of the MRTPC. In its report, the investigative unit stated that Kingfisher Airlines had not “lived up to its promise of a zero basic fare” and recommended action against it for a lack of transparency.

The report also said the “number of tickets was not disclosed in the advertisements. The company has also not informed its customers the date from which non-promotional regular fares were to be charged”.

In a promotional scheme, Deccan, whose name has been changed to Simplifly Deccan after the acquisition by Vijay Mallya, had offered tickets across various sectors at zero basic fare, exclusive of all taxes, between July 1 and October 27, 2007.

The newspaper advertisement read: “Raining free tickets this summer”. The booking was supposed to end on the midnight of May 20, 2007, but the tickets were exhausted “before the stipulated time”.