Kerala CM slams 'unfair' rise in air fares to Gulf

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today appealed to the Centre to reduce the "unfair" hike in air fares to Gulf nations effected by various airlines in view of the summer vacation season.
The increased fares were causing lot of hardship to Keralites, who were already facing crisis due to job losses, and this would be an 'unbearable burden', he said in a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju.
Stating that the fares had been doubled, he sought the urgent intervention of the Union government to reduce the same and also fixing a ceiling on the quantum of increase to the Gulf.

He said Air India Express should be allowed to operate more services on the Gulf route. Private airlines should also be asked to start more services to the region.
If the hike in fares to the Gulf region was not prevented, there was a possibility that ticket prices to the US and Europe
would also go up, he added.

He said airline companies had increased fares in the Gulf sector as the summer vacation had started in that region.
The averagefares in the gulf sector during the last three months was Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 (one way) and Rs 16,000 to Rs 18,000 (up and down).

However, the fares had doubled with vacations for schools having started, he added.