Kerala govt to urge Centre to regulate airfares for Haj pilgrims, expats

A letter has already been sent to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation seeking the intervention of the Centre in this regard, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday that the state government would continue to pressurise the union government to regulate the exorbitant ticket charges imposed by airline companies on Haj pilgrims and expatriates.

Airline companies are charging huge amounts as ticket fare from Haj pilgrims and expatriate Keralites who come to the home state during festival seasons and on vacation, the CM said while replying to a submission in the state Assembly. 

A letter has already been sent to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation seeking the intervention of the Centre in this regard, he said.

The issue was also discussed during the recent meeting of Members of Parliament ahead of the monsoon session of the Parliament, he said.

The Centre, however, adopted a stand that airlines are responsible for setting and revising airfares and, that the government does not interfere in their commercial and marketing activities, Vijayan further said.

By removing the restrictions on fixing airfares in 1994, the union government had given all freedom to the airline companies to decide the ticket rates, the CM added.