New Delhi, (IANS) Overseas
Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi Tuesday sought immediate remedy to the
woes of passengers who have been troubled in recent months by successive
diversions and cancellation of Gulf-bound flights from states like Kerala.
The minister, who was also
overseeing the aviation portfolio earlier, met his successor in the ministry,
Ajit Singh, and flagged the tribulations of air passengers to Gulf nations,
which is home to some six million Indians, while seeking immediate action.
“I brought to Mr. Ajit
Singh’s notice the difficulties passengers from Kerala and other states are
facing while going to or coming from the Gulf nations. I also spoke about the
hike in air fares on Gulf route. It was already profitable for Air India,” Ravi
said.
“I have been told that the
matter is being closely monitored. I also have an assurance that some practical
solutions are being worked out,” the minister told IANS soon after the meeting.
“I was also told that they
will consider allowing private Indian airlines to increase flights operations
to the Gulf nations.”
Besides Minister Ajit
Singh, the meeting was attended, among others, by Civil Aviation Secretary K.N.
Shrivastava and Air India chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan.
There have been some
cancellations and disruption of Air India flights to Gulf nations, especially
from Kerala’s three international airports at Tiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and
Kochi. The feeling is the services are diverted to meet the Haj pilgrimage
demand.
In the past four months
alone, nearly 200 flights from Kerala were cancelled, resulting in major
trouble for air passengers. Among the flights cancelled were those that were
bound for Doha, Manama, Sharjah, Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait.
Apart from the general
stress due to delays, passengers have also complained of other problems — the
lack of holidays and reprimands by employers, missing of classes for students
and visa-related issues.
According to reports, in one
instance, an Air India Express pilot had to sound a hijack alert at
Tiruvananthapuram after passengers walked up to the cockpit to ask her why she
had landed the Abu Dhabi-bound plane there after it took off from Kochi an hour
earlier.
According to Vayalar Ravi,
an assurance has also been given that the crew of airlines will be advised to
be courteous to passengers and ensure their travel is comfortable.
Ravi also raised the issue
of having a full-fledged office of Air India Express – the budget carrier of
the national airline – at Kochi, by shifting it from Mumbai. The office was
moved to Kochi when Ravi held the aviation portfolio.
http://nvonews.com/2012/11/06/vayalar-ravi-takes-up-woes-of-gulf-bound-fliers/
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