Conspiracy behind cancellation of AI Express Services alleged

The Kerala Association of Travel Agents (KATA), Trivandrum, alleged that cancellation of 944 services of Air India Express, the budget airline of Air India, to the Gulf sector in August and September was part of a larger conspiracy to help the foreign airline companies.

 The cancellations had affected almost 1.7 lakh passengers, Association president K V Muraleedharan told a press conference here on Tuesday. He said that Air India strike was called off 40 days ago but Air India Express service to the Gulf had  not resumed yet.

“Normally once the strike is over, the services will begin within a week. The delay in resuming the service has helped foreign airline companies to make a profit of around Rs 10,000 crore. We suspect corruption and high-level conspiracy behind the delay,” he said.

 The Association president said that the ticket rates which were Rs 6,000 to Rs 13,000 prior to the strike had now skyrocketed to Rs 30,000-Rs 70,000. Air India would not restart the schedules during the peak season which is from July to September, Muraleedharan said.

 The Association chief alleged that the Department of Civil Aviation was also supporting the fleecing of passengers in the Kerala-Gulf sector. The Union Ministers from Kerala are keeping mum on this issue. Even the MPs from Kerala have not succeeded in bringing this issue to the notice of the Prime Minister and other Union Ministers, he said. Association secretary Channankara M P Kunju also was present.