Congress MP Vivek Tankha urges govt to make airfares affordable for Indians on Gulf routes
In a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said over one crore Indians live across the Gulf region and need to be protected from rising air fares on India-UAE and Gulf routes.
Raising concerns over soaring airfares on Gulf routes, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha has urged the Central government to make airfares affordable on Gulf routes, either through fare revision or subsidies, as Indians living in the region visit the country during the summer months.
In a letter addressed to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Tankha said more than one crore Indians live across Gulf nations and are being severely affected by rising airfares on India-UAE and other Gulf routes.
Airfares on India-Gulf routes more than doubled
The Congress leader said that a vast majority of the middle-class workers whose livelihoods sustain millions of families back home in India want to come home during the holiday season. ''For most of them, the annual summer visit is the one window in the year to join their farnilies -- it is not a luxury but a necessity. Employers in UAE and Gulf region typically provide a FTA (Fixed Travel Allowance) of around AED 1,000 per person towards this purpose, which, till recently, was sufficient to meaningfully offset the cost of travel.
''Airfares on India-Gulf routes have now more than doubled. The allowance no longer covers even half the fare. The result is that millions of family members who otherwise would meet annually simply are not able to visit India as it is no more affordable,'' he said in his letter.
Human cost of prolonged separation significant
The Congress leader said while the economic burden was real, the human cost of prolonged separation, of children growing up without a parent, and the quiet toll it takes, is equally significant.
''It is respectfully urged that the Ministry of Civil Aviation and its agencies undertake an immediate review of fare structures on India-UAE & Gulf routes and take steps to restore them to an accessible level, or with the help of the Finance Ministry, seek subsidisation from June to August, the present summer period,'' Tankha said.
He said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can verify this fact from its embassies in the UAE and the Gulf regions.
''Expanding the frequency and availability of budget airline operations on these corridors would provide the most direct and effective relief. This issue warrants urgent attention in the public interest,'' he said.