M.K. Raghavan, MP, has written to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Civil Aviation seeking regulation of airfares to the Gulf countries which have gone through the roof recently.
In a release, he said the fares from the four airports in the State to a majority of West Asian countries had gone up by 300% to 500% from between ₹4,500 and ₹13,000. The minimum fare from Thiruvananthapuram to Sharjah on August 31 would be ₹19,000. The maximum fare to Kuwait from there would be ₹92,000.
As economy class tickets were not available in most of the services, the common people were forced to opt for the business class tickets. Mr. Raghavan said this would affect the Non-Resident Keralites and their families who would be returning to the Gulf countries after the school vacation.
The Kerala Pravasi Federation (KPF) will take out a march to all the four airports in the State on August 26 protesting against the steep increase in fares. KPF State president Binoy Viswam and general secretary P.P. Suneer said in Malappuram on Monday that airlines, including Air India, were fleecing the expatriate community by increasing the fares by up to 500%.
They flayed the Central government for its silence on the matter.
They said the expatriates were the backbone of the State’s economy, and fleecing them could not be allowed.