CPI State secretary Binoy Viswam has written to Minister of Civil Aviation K. Ram Mohan Naidu, seeking his intervention to lower airfares to Kerala from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries during the Onam season.
Explaining the importance of the festive season to Malayalees, Mr. Viswam says the festival is the occasion when expat Malayalees reunite with their families and friends to celebrate the festival, which is an essential part of their cultural identity. But airliners inflate ticket fares during the season. Fares are going up sharply in the upcoming festival season as well, he says in the letter, pointing out that on an average, one-way fares to Kerala cities from the GCC countries have soared by 20% to 25%.
“The surge in fare is visible for both domestic and international flights,” he says, adding that it forces many people to cancel their trips.
