TRIVANDRUM, 12 December 2003 — Kerala yesterday strongly condemned Air-India’s decision to shelve a proposal for budget airlines catering for passengers on the Gulf sector.
Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Minister M. M. Hassan sought immediate intervention of the federal government to reverse the decision saying it was a rude shock to some two million expatriates in the Gulf, most of them being forced to postpone their vacations due to exorbitant airfares.
He said the federal government had gone back on its promise to offer less expensive mode of travel after several representations by the state government.
In a fax message, Hassan also urged Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy to reconsider the decision.
He pointed out that Air-Arabia and Gulf Traveler are already offering the low-cost services on other sectors.
A budget airline could have provided much relief to low-income expatriates, he said.
Hassan alleged that the Air-India was adopting a stepmotherly attitude toward Keralite expatriates though they contribute 25 percent of the flag carrier’s revenue.
A-I fares on the sector are also higher compared to those of foreign airlines operating from here.
“We are slowly running out of patience with the attitude of Air-India. They have long been ignoring our demands. If they do not fall in line, we might even consider taking strong steps against them,” Hassan said.
He thanked the central government for considering opening three offices in the state to attest certificates so that job-seekers need not travel all the way to New Delhi to get them attested. He hoped Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee would intervene in the flight issue as well.
The A-I had floated a subsidiary called Air India Charters Limited (AICL) to explore the possibility of adding flights without on-board services like food, drinks and entertainment. But the idea did not find favor with A-I’s management, Rudy told the Rajya Sabha the other day adding that the government has not put any restrictions on the airlines to introduce low-cost alternative services. The AICL proposed to start low-cost charter services between Cochin and the Gulf destinations to begin with. It was expected to attract a large number of workers traveling from Kerala to the Gulf, as the distance to be flown is short and the fare could go as low as 6000 rupees.
