CHENNAI: Passengers flying out of Jaffna will have to shell out Rs 3,000 extra due to the $50 embarkation fee and other charges imposed by the Sri Lanka government, amid the island nation's economic crisis.
An Alliance Air Chennai to Jaffna flight ticket costs Rs 6,200 but with the embarkation fee, the return flight will cost Rs 9,200.
Vineet Sood, Alliance Air Chief Executive Officer, who was part of the delegation which visited Jaffna during the inaugural flight on Monday, after two years, said the carrier has requested the Lankan government to consider waiving the fee. Sood said the proposal is being favourably considered.
Meanwhile, Alliance Air, the only carrier operating in Jaffna may extend its services to Colombo as well after the Sri Lankan Tourism Minister said this would offer better opportunities. Sood said a commercial and technical feasibility study will be conducted before taking a decision to extend the services.
The airline operating in tier-2 and tier-3 cities in India has 20 ATR aircraft, of which 18 are 72-seaters and two are 48-seaters. It also has a Dornier aircraft, which is being put to commercial use. The Sri Lankans are urging Alliance Air to cater to tier-2 and tier-3 cities in their country as well besides offering services to Madurai and Thoothukudi where relatives of many Sri Lankan nationals reside.
Sood said the operation from Madurai and other 2-tier cities to Sri Lanka will be considered subject to patronage.
On whether the flight services to Jaffna will become a daily affair, Sood said, 'We started with three flights a week and now it is four a week. If there is more patronage we will consider it."
The CEO said, like other airlines, it was also in the red due to Covid pandemic and rise in prices of jet fuel. The operation loss of the airline is Rs 70 to Rs 80 crore although the services have reached 80% of the pre-covid level.
Currently, the airline is seeking financial support from the Union government for expansion and to strengthen the balance sheet. The airline is also going in for divestment and is planning to call for bids. Alliance Air, from April 15, ceased to be a part of Air India and is being run as an independent business unit under the government of India.