The Kerala government asked the Centre on Thursday for permission to book additional or charter flights for low-income Keralite emigrants from Gulf countries to visit the state during the upcoming festive season in April. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Civil Aviation Ministry to grant necessary permissions for additional or charter flights booked by the state beginning in the second week of April.
The kerala Chief minister also drew Modi’s attention to the massive hikes in airfares over the last two months, requesting that the Central government proactively intervene and initiate negotiations with airlines operating in the India-Gulf sector to ensure they do not use exorbitant pricing strategies during festivals and school vacations. Exorbitant air fares from the Gulf nations to Kerala, especially during peak or festive seasons, has been a vexing problem, he said, adding that these rates are unaffordable to many, particularly migrant workers. In the recent past, the airline operators have not responded favourably to various requests from migrant organisations and the Kerala government to fix air fares at reasonable levels, Vijayan said. As a result, millions of migrant workers are forced to pay exorbitant airfares, sometimes amounting to several months’ worth of their meagre savings, to return home, he said.
Post Your Comments