Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 03: Congress leader and businessman T.S.G. Bhaskar on Thursday said the sharp rise in airfares and reduction in flight connectivity had become a problem affecting every section of the Andaman community, as he joined the peaceful protest outside Veer Savarkar International Airport.
Speaking during the protest, Bhaskar said he was participating not merely as a political representative but as an islander and businessman affected by the ongoing airfare crisis. He said the issue was hurting everyone from large businesses to small vendors, patients, students and ordinary residents who depend on air connectivity with the mainland.
The protesters, many of whom were dressed in black as a symbolic expression of their dissatisfaction, gathered with placards highlighting the high cost of air travel. The demonstration began around 8.30 a.m. and continued to draw people towards the airport area.
Bhaskar said the impact of expensive air travel was particularly severe for tourism-dependent businesses. He listed tour and travel agencies, hotels, boat operators, scuba-diving and snorkelling operators, water-sports businesses and other tourism-linked enterprises among those facing losses as high fares discourage visitors from travelling to the islands.
According to him, the issue is not restricted to tourism or to those participating in the protest.
“Every Andaman resident is affected,” was the central message of his address, as he argued that patients requiring mainland medical treatment, students, businesses and even courier-related services are bearing the consequences of expensive air travel.
Bhaskar also questioned the absence of stronger regulatory controls over airline fares. Drawing a comparison with autorickshaws, he asked why airlines could not similarly be subjected to a regulated or reasonable per-kilometre fare structure.
He alleged that airlines were operating with excessive freedom in determining fares and raised concerns over what he described as “cartelisation” in the airline sector. He called for government intervention to ensure that airfares remain within reasonable limits.
The businessman also referred to the high fares faced by families travelling from the mainland. He claimed that he had recently travelled from Delhi to the islands at a fare of around ₹34,000 and said that for a family of four, air travel could therefore become a financial burden of well over ₹1 lakh.
He also raised concerns about patients travelling for medical treatment, saying that the cost of air travel can become particularly difficult for those already facing medical expenses.
Bhaskar further questioned the way tourist-arrival figures and flight capacity are being assessed. Referring to claims of around seven lakh tourist arrivals last year, he sought a scientific explanation of how such numbers correspond with the available flight capacity and called for greater transparency in tourism-related data.
He also questioned the classification of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands under air-fare and flight dispersal guidelines, arguing that the islands should receive stronger consideration given their geographical isolation.
The protest is taking place as a Parliamentary Committee visits the islands and is scheduled to depart today. Protesters are seeking to use the demonstration to draw the attention of visiting policymakers and senior authorities to the continuing air connectivity crisis.
Bhaskar urged journalists to carry the message beyond the protest site, stressing that the issue should not be seen as the concern of a particular group or organisation.
“This is not just the problem of those protesting here. It is the problem of every islander and every tourist,” was the broader message emerging from the demonstration.
The protesters are demanding a long-term solution to the airfare and connectivity crisis, including adequate flight availability, reasonable fares and stronger regulatory intervention to protect the interests of island residents and the tourism economy.
