Kochi: Airfares on the Gulf-Kerala sector have shot up in view next week’s Eid, leading to accusation that the airlines, including Air India, are fleecing migrant workers in the Gulf wanting to come home to celebrate the festival.
Gulf workers and their associations complain that over the past few years it has become common practice for airlines to jack up fares during the two Eids (Idul Fitr and Idul Azha). They also hiked the fares abnormally during Christmas and Onam too.
The Kerala government has sought the Centre’s intervention to get the increased fares rolled back. Non-Resident Kerala Affairs Minister KC Joseph, in a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, requested the government to intervene in the matter. He pointed out that the airlines were charging four to five times more than the normal fares. Air India, Air India Express, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, Air Arabia, and Kuwait Airways are among the airlines that operate on the sector. Air India, Air India Express and Saudi Airlines carry bulk of the passengers from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, along with UAE, has the majority of Keralites working in the Gulf.
The fare hike for the three Kerala destinations — Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram — started in the first week of July as the Gulf workers started arriving to celebrate Idul Fitr (which will mostly fall on July 17 this year).
12/07/15 KPM Basheer/Business Line
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Gulf workers and their associations complain that over the past few years it has become common practice for airlines to jack up fares during the two Eids (Idul Fitr and Idul Azha). They also hiked the fares abnormally during Christmas and Onam too.
The Kerala government has sought the Centre’s intervention to get the increased fares rolled back. Non-Resident Kerala Affairs Minister KC Joseph, in a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, requested the government to intervene in the matter. He pointed out that the airlines were charging four to five times more than the normal fares. Air India, Air India Express, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Gulf Air, Air Arabia, and Kuwait Airways are among the airlines that operate on the sector. Air India, Air India Express and Saudi Airlines carry bulk of the passengers from Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, along with UAE, has the majority of Keralites working in the Gulf.
The fare hike for the three Kerala destinations — Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram — started in the first week of July as the Gulf workers started arriving to celebrate Idul Fitr (which will mostly fall on July 17 this year).
12/07/15 KPM Basheer/Business Line
