KOCHI: Outstation Malayalees trying to reach their kin in the flood-affected ares in the state had another shock awaiting them as the airfares to nearby Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru skyrocketed. An economy class one-way Delhi-Kozhikode ticket on Friday retailed for Rs 13,000, against the normal average rate of around Rs 5,000.
The sudden closure of CIAL, the state’s busiest airport, till August 26 has left flight operators scrambling for an alternative airport to schedule their operations to the state. The week preceding and succeeding Onam is considered to be the busiest as most of the non-resident Keralites fly down for the festival season. Reacting to the issue, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu tweeted:
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, airfares on 18 domestic routes are being monitored. “Spike in airfares on a few routes has been observed. Airlines concerned have been advised to cap the airfare on these flights,” the Ministry said in a statement. Minister of Statistics & Programme Implementation D V Sadananda Gowda tweeted: “Private Airlines are at a money making Shame!! Today Mangalore to Bengaluru ticket rate sky-rocketed to `18,000. This route’s average rate is never more than Rs 4,000.
It’’s time to introduce more flights.” The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had the other day asked airlines to limit fares between Delhi and Kerala to `10,000. “All scheduled domestic airlines have been advised to ensure airfares on flights to/ from Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode airports in Kerala are kept at an optimal level proportionate to the sector distance so that travelling public is not inconvenienced,” the DGCA said in a release.
Control room
The DGCA has set up a round-theclock control room to assist affected passengers. IndiGo is offering a fee waiver on ticket cancellation/ rescheduling flights scheduled for travel on August 16-18.