Airlines have again increased the fares from the four international airports in the State to destinations in West Asia to cash in on the demand for seats from Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) returning to their workplaces after Ramzan.
The latest hike, second in two months, comes close on the heels of a 200-400% hike in the airfares during the summer vacation for educational institutions in the State.
One-way fares from the Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Kozhikode and Kannur international airports to various destinations in West Asia have suddenly gone up from the existing ₹6,000-₹12,000 range. A one-way economy class ticket from the four airports to key destinations in West Asia in budget and regular flights of both Indian and foreign carriers on June 9 (after Ramzan) costs somewhere between ₹14,000 and ₹48,500.
An economy class ticket in Gulf Air from the State capital to Dubai on June 9 is available for ₹14,000, whereas the fare from Kannur to Dubai in Indigo is ₹25,700. The economy class fare from the State capital to Jeddah in Gulf Air on June 9 is ₹20,100. One has to pay ₹48,500 for flying from Kannur to Jeddah in the national carrier Air India.
The Airlines are also cashing in on the demand for seats by those who had returned with families for the reopening of educational institutions on June 6 in the State and planning to fly back.
Centre’s inability
The inability of the Union government and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to regulate the fares during festive seasons and summer vacation has also come as a blessing for the operating airlines, industry analysts say.
