Govt flags exorbitant airfare
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IMPHAL, Nov 4
Anurag Bajpai, Additional Chief Secretary (Transport/Textiles, Commerce & Industry) and PCCF & HoFF held meeting with key officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI), Air India Express, INDIGO and Alliance Air on exorbitant airfare hike and limited operations in Imphal sector.
The meeting was also attended by the Director (Transport) and Joint Secretary (Transport), said a press release issued by the Transport Department.
The ACS emphasized that at present airfare for the Imphal sector is significantly higher than those on comparable routes in other North East States.
The Officials voiced concerns that airlines may be imposing elevated fares on high demand routes of Manipur as a mechanism to offset losses on less profitable ones, thereby imposing an undue burden on the people of the State.
Notably, air transport is the only viable mode of travel for the Meitei community due to the situation along the highways.
Consequently, airfare rates have surged abnormally. For instance, the fare for the short Imphal–Gu-wahati route, a 45- minute journey, has reportedly spiked from Rs 2,000-3,000 to as high as Rs 10,000 to 15,000 recently.
A comparative study shows flyers from Imphal are paying up to seven times more than their counterparts in other North-East cities flying comparable distances to Guwahati.
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has already written to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, urging immediate intervention to rationalise airfares and improve flight operations to and from Manipur.
The letter highlights the social and economic strain caused by the high airfare regime and requests the Ministry to take remedial measures in coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and airline operators.
The ACS stressed the need for greater transparency in fare structures and a coordinated regulatory framework between airlines and AAI.
He emphasised that given the disruptions in the surface transport and the absence of functional railway connectivity, air travel is indispensable in Manipur and that the current high fares are causing significant hardship to the public.
Air being the only viable mode of transport, the ACS asked the officials representing airlines to maintain airfare structure at par with other North East States.
He further asked Alliance Air officials for reintroduction of air services between Imphal-Silchar, Imphal – Aizawl and Imphal-Dibrugarh to restore regional connectivity that has been suspended. He further asked Air India Express and INDIGO officials to consider Imphal- Bangkok passenger and cargo services being high in demand.
The ACS reiterated the commitment of the Government to ensure that connectivity-both physical and economic-is preserved and enhanced for its citizens.
He called upon the National aviation authorities, airlines and other stakeholders to broaden the lens of social equity when pricing air travel, especially for regions such as Manipur with limited transport alternatives.
Anurag Bajpai, Additional Chief Secretary (Transport/Textiles, Commerce & Industry) and PCCF & HoFF held meeting with key officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI), Air India Express, INDIGO and Alliance Air on exorbitant airfare hike and limited operations in Imphal sector.
The meeting was also attended by the Director (Transport) and Joint Secretary (Transport), said a press release issued by the Transport Department.
The ACS emphasized that at present airfare for the Imphal sector is significantly higher than those on comparable routes in other North East States.
The Officials voiced concerns that airlines may be imposing elevated fares on high demand routes of Manipur as a mechanism to offset losses on less profitable ones, thereby imposing an undue burden on the people of the State.
Notably, air transport is the only viable mode of travel for the Meitei community due to the situation along the highways.
Consequently, airfare rates have surged abnormally. For instance, the fare for the short Imphal–Gu-wahati route, a 45- minute journey, has reportedly spiked from Rs 2,000-3,000 to as high as Rs 10,000 to 15,000 recently.
A comparative study shows flyers from Imphal are paying up to seven times more than their counterparts in other North-East cities flying comparable distances to Guwahati.
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has already written to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, urging immediate intervention to rationalise airfares and improve flight operations to and from Manipur.
The letter highlights the social and economic strain caused by the high airfare regime and requests the Ministry to take remedial measures in coordination with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and airline operators.
The ACS stressed the need for greater transparency in fare structures and a coordinated regulatory framework between airlines and AAI.
He emphasised that given the disruptions in the surface transport and the absence of functional railway connectivity, air travel is indispensable in Manipur and that the current high fares are causing significant hardship to the public.
Air being the only viable mode of transport, the ACS asked the officials representing airlines to maintain airfare structure at par with other North East States.
He further asked Alliance Air officials for reintroduction of air services between Imphal-Silchar, Imphal – Aizawl and Imphal-Dibrugarh to restore regional connectivity that has been suspended. He further asked Air India Express and INDIGO officials to consider Imphal- Bangkok passenger and cargo services being high in demand.
The ACS reiterated the commitment of the Government to ensure that connectivity-both physical and economic-is preserved and enhanced for its citizens.
He called upon the National aviation authorities, airlines and other stakeholders to broaden the lens of social equity when pricing air travel, especially for regions such as Manipur with limited transport alternatives.