World | India
Plea to exempt Gulf sector from summer airfare hike
Concerned over the steep hike in airfares, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi has asked Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel to spare the Gulf sector from the hikes as most travellers from the region are semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
- IANS
- Published: 00:00 June 24, 2006
New Delhi: Concerned over the steep hike in airfares, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi has asked Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel to spare the Gulf sector from the hikes as most travellers from the region are semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
Ravi met Patel on Thursday and asked him to call a meeting of airlines to discuss the issue.
He also pointed out that the 30 per cent rise in summer airfares on the Gulf-India sector affected low-income workers in the region who travelled to India to visit their families.
"This may be distinguished from the pleasure trips undertaken by tourists in the European sector," Ravi wrote in a letter to Patel.
During his visit to the Gulf countries last month, one of the major issues brought up by Gulf Indians was the exorbitant rise in airfares of different airlines, Ravi said.
Substantial incentives
He added that Indians, especially workers in the Gulf, remit $12.5 billion (Dh1.04 billion) annually as foreign exchange. "Whereas incentives to them in return is nothing," the letter stated.
"As you know at the same time the exporters in SEZ [Special Economic Zones] are given substantial incentives by the government for boosting foreign exchange earnings.
"The Gulf countries account for five million overseas Indian workers with a gross flow of half a million workers annually, excluding returnees. The travel of these workers is a substantial air travel market which is significantly monopolised by Air India."
Sources in the overseas Indian affairs ministry said the minister had also taken up the issue with Air India Chairman V. Thulasidas.
"Thulasidas is believed to have said Air India could not take such a step alone. That's the reason the minister wanted to convene a meeting of other airlines too," an official told IANS. NRIs believe if Air India reduced the fares, others would follow.
Air India increases fares twice
Air India increased its fare twice for the peak season from April to mid-July. After the hike in April, Dubai-Mumbai return trip by economy costs Dh1,050. From June 14 to July 7, this was increased to Dh1,800.
Air India's budget airline Air India Express also increased its fares during the peak summer season. The charges have hit non-resident Keralites the most. According to air travellers from Dubai to Thiruvananthapuram, Air India economy ticket costs Dh3,500 on Emirates Airlines and Dh2,800 on Air India.
Share this article
News Editor's choice
-
A year after 173 defenceless people were killed
Mumbai itself is far from safe from another deadly attack, even though the level of security consciousness of the average Mumbaikar has been raised since 26/11
-
Nato supports Obama's plea
European and other allies to send around 6,000 troops to Afghanistan
-
Official confirms mayor is the suspect
Many witnesses have come forward, justice secretary says
-
Into an oasis of values
A place to snuggle in the warmth of old manners away from the bustle of city life
