Kochi, Dec 10:
Spice Jet, the low cost airline, on Monday launched its second
international flight from Kochi connecting Dubai.
The company is offering daily direct flight from Kochi to Dubai and the
inaugural ticket fares are as low as Rs 4,999 (one way fare inclusive of all
taxes). Currently, Spice Jet operates direct daily flights to Dubai from Delhi
and Mumbai. The airline will also be launching a flight to Dubai from Ahmedabad
later this month. The inaugural flight from Kochi to Dubai was flagged off
today by Neil Mills, CEO, Spice Jet, at a function at Cochin International
Airport. On Kochi–Dubai route, Spice Jet will deploy Boeing 737-800 aircraft
with a capacity of 189.
Airfares
now touch the skies
heaper to fly to West Asia than to the national
capital from State
Now, it is cheaper to fly from the State capital to Dubai, Doha, Muscat,
and Riyadh than taking a flight to the national capital.
Those booking a Y class ticket can fly in a scheduled airline from
Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai for Rs.30,104, Doha Rs.33,144, Muscat Rs. 33,313,
and Riyadh Rs. 34,196 while an air ticket in the same class to New Delhi will
cost Rs.35,841.
Travellers are bearing the brunt as high fares are in place from
Thiruvananthapuram to destinations in West Asia and Kochi, Chennai, Bangalore,
Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata. The worst hit are the tourists and
year-end travellers.
Jolt for travellers
The increase in air fares by 25 to 30 per cent to various domestic and
international destinations has come as a jolt for the travellers.
Airline sources said seats were not available in the Y class (economy)
in the Delhi- Kochi- Thiruvananthapuram sector in the national carrier. The cancellation
of an evening flight in the Delhi- Kochi sector had also aggravated the
problem.
An economy class ticket from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi will cost Rs.
9,190, to Chennai Rs.14,543, Bangalore Rs.13,452, Mumbai Rs.24,238, Kolkata Rs.
36,577, and Hyderabad, Rs.28,693.
With Christmas, New Year and peak tourism season round the corner, air
fares are expected to reach the pre-Diwali level when fares in the domestic
sector went up by 70 per cent.
Reasons
The increase in fares has been attributed to rupee depreciation, hike in
aviation turbine fuel prices, introduction of additional user fees by airports,
withdrawal of the fare ceiling by the Director General of Civil Aviation, and
the inability of Kingfisher Airlines to resume operations.
The travel industry has demanded restoration of fare control by the DGCA
to bring down the fares.
Short-haul destinations in Southeast Asia have benefitted the most from
this situation. Due to high domestic fares, travellers are now looking at
international destinations for holidaying.
The low-cost foreign carriers are taking advantage of the situation and
have started charging higher fares than those by scheduled airlines.
The seats are usually in demand from the Gulf in March, April, August,
and September.
The Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, in its report
tabled in Parliament recently, has recommended that “in future all the airlines
may be asked to increase their fares only with the approval of the DGCA. It has
asked for a “transparent formula” for pricing of air tickets and to implement
it within three months.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/airfares-now-touch-the-skies/article4186585.ece
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