Plane travel may hit air pocket

Mumbai: The recent hike in aviation fuel has come as a dampener to domestic air passengers. According to Chennai-based Air Passengers Association of India (APAI), there is a strong possibility of domestic air travel not showing any growth this year.
Since May 2007, fuel surcharge on short haul flights increased 137% to Rs 2,250. On long routes, the surcharge has gone up 76%, from Rs 1,650 to Rs 2,900. D Sudhakara Reddy, president, APAI, said, “After the fuel hike, we are getting several telephone calls from worried passengers across the country. Regular passengers don’t seem interested in travelling by air due to the rise in fares.” He added that last year, the number of domestic passengers stood at 60 million.
In view of the response of air passengers across the country, Reddy sees a drop of 10-15% in air travel compared to last year.
09/06/08 Shaheen Mansuri/Financial Express

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jun 2008