Kerala: Exorbitant airfares to the gulf regions as expats plan to return after vacations

Kozhikode: The exorbitant airfares charged on passengers flying to and from Kerala and the UAE has led to widespread discontentment and anger as passengers are finding it difficult to travel to Kerala for their Onam holidays. The unprecedented hike in prices comes even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to Prime Minister twice on the matter requesting his urgent intervention.

The airfares have soared mainly for those expats who are looking to travel back to the gulf regions after their holidays. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had on July 3 wrote to PM Modi to seek his immediate personal intervention to reduce exorbitant airfares in the post-COVID period in both domestic and international sectors. However, the recent decision to increase the airfares ahead of the festival season has affected the holiday plans of expatriates who are already burdened by the airfares introduced earlier.

The ticket price to Dubai from Kozhikode per passenger is up to 1500 dirham (Rs 32,250) from August 14th. The airfares are expected to touch 2000 dirhams after August 20th. The flight charges. The flight charges during the month of September for Onam have also gone high. Travel agencies in the state have told Times Digital that the high price has led to expats cancelling their plans to travel home.

“Passengers who used to book their tickets every year in the month of July and August have been reluctant this time around and have cancelled their plans. Unless there is an intervention from the side of the government and the airlines, we cannot expect a dip in prices," said Sunil Kumar, an operator of AJ travel agency in Ernakulam.

Many are hoping that there will be chartered flight service operating from the UAE to Kerala as it was done during the Covid pandemic. However, there are restrictions for several major airline companies to operate chartered flights in the India-UAE sector.