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Pressure mounts to cut airfares to India

DUBAI - The movement of the various Indian associations in the UAE demanding lower air fares on Air India (AI) and Indian Airlines (IA) flights to different Indian destinations, particularly Kerala, is gaining momentum.

A substantial number of the Indian expatriate population has responded positively to the call of the Indian Association Sharjah (IAS) and 35 other associations from all over the UAE to boycott all IA and AI flights on March 3.

"The boycott of all IA and AI flights on March 3 will not only adversely affect their business but will also act as a pressure for the national airlines to reduce their air fare to Kerala and other Indian destinations," said Y.A. Raheem, President of the IAS, who is spearheading the entire campaign.

"The irrational pricing of IA and AI flights has caused a great deal of agony for Indian labourers who are unable to buy tickets during the peak season in July and August when prices hover around Dh 2,400 per ticket," Mr Raheem said. At a meeting held last Friday, the IAS as well as representatives of more than 35 UAE-based Indian associations announced that they were negotiating with a major international airline to operate chartered flights from UAE to different Indian destinations at a uniform price of Dh 1,450.

Retaliating to the associations' allegations that the AI pricing was irrational and unfair for the people of Kerala, Ratan Bali, Marketing Manager AI, Dubai and Northern Emirates, said that the airfares to Kerala had been lowered since the last two years. The peak season prices are now around Dh2,400 when it was around Dh2,700 three years ago, Mr Bali said.

Mr Bali said that a decision over the introduction of a budget airline in the Gulf sector would have to be taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The ministry will also have to take a stand on giving permission to charter flights, he added.

Whether there will be further reduction in the airfares to Kerala, we will have to wait and observe the market forces, Mr Bali said. He, however, disagreed that the expatriate Indians were boycotting IA and AI flights or that their business had been affected adversely. "The traffic bookings are the same as it was last year and there is no major decline that I can comment on," Mr Bali said. He said that the fares on all AI flights were competitive and could be compared to other international airlines flying the same sector.

Mr Raheem, however, pointed to Qatar Air, Oman Air and SriLankan airlines that were operating flights to India at prices lesser than that offered by AI or IA. "Our demand is that the air fare should be reduced to at least 1,550 throughout the year with no hike during the peak season."

Bid to strengthen agitation

The All India Airport Users' Forum (AIAUF) is spreading its wings to other Gulf countries to create awareness among the expatriate Indians about the need for a budget airline. Leaders of the Forum left for Qatar on Saturday to strengthen the agitation.

The Forum delegation, consisted of M. K. Madhavan (President), K. M. Basheer (General Secretary), Thilakan Pullani (Vice-President) and Azeez Vengeri (Treasurer) will also meet the Qatar civil aviation authorities as part of the budget airline issue.

The leaders of the AIAUF will meet representatives of all the Indian expatriate organisations in Qatar in order to increase the agitation against the defiant attitude of Indian Airlines and Air India in introducing the long cherished budget airline in the Kerala-Gulf sector without wasting any time, as the Kerala government has decided to reduce the fuel tax from 35 to zero per cent for international flights.

"The national airlines should stop squeezing the poor hapless non-resident Keralites and make the budget airline a reality without any further delay," said KM Basheer.

He said the AIAUF has already started active campaigns in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on the issue. "We are also going to Oman soon to create awareness among the expatriate Indians there about the issue," said Basheer. He added that only a united fight by all the organisations could bring a result in the budget airline issue just like what happened in the airport user's fee in Calicut airport.

Basheer said that the AIAUF fight against the national carriers would continue until they agree to start a budget airline. He said that the AIAUF has decided to intensify the fight by forming agitation committees in all the Gulf countries, which will spread the boycott call to more and more Malayalees.

Basheer said that the AIAUF would step up its campaign demanding the withdrawal of the user's fee at Cochin international airport. He urged all the other expatriate organisations to join hands with AIAUF in its campaign for abolition of the user's fee at Cochin airport.