Sri Vijaya Puram, April 21: With airfares between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and mainland India soaring to unprecedented levels, Bishnu Pada Ray (MP, Lok Sabha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands) has issued a strong appeal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, urging immediate regulation of what he calls “arbitrary and exorbitant” ticket pricing that is increasingly pushing islanders to the brink of isolation.
Flights connecting Sri Vijaya Puram with cities such as Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, and Visakhapatnam have become prohibitively expensive, particularly for the economically weaker sections. “What used to cost ₹4,000 to ₹6,000 now crosses ₹15,000, even reaching ₹30,000 for a two-hour journey,” Ray stated in a press release on Monday, underscoring the urgency of intervention.
Air travel as a necessity, not a luxury
Ray emphasized that for the islanders, air connectivity is not a convenience but a necessity. With limited industrial activity and few employment opportunities within the islands, residents are heavily dependent on affordable mainland travel for livelihood, higher education, and medical care. “When someone has to fly out for cancer treatment or a student needs to reach their college, airfare should not become a barrier,” Ray said.
The situation has been further worsened by the breakdown of subsidized sea travel. Two new Union Territory-funded passenger ships, MV Atal and MV Ashoka, built at a cost of ₹1,294 crore, have reportedly been diverted from their originally intended passenger routes. This leaves islanders with fewer maritime options, effectively forcing them into the grip of what Ray describes as airline monopolies. “With no functional ships and no affordable flights, people are stuck. This is no longer just an economic issue—it’s a humanitarian one,” he said.
High fares, low justification
Ray pointed out that ticket prices remain disproportionately high despite the relatively low airport operational costs at Veer Savarkar International Airport in Sri Vijaya Puram. He noted that essential components like the Route Navigation Facility Charges (RNFC), Terminal Navigation Landing Charges (TNLC), and User Development Fees (UDF) are lower here compared to most mainland airports. “Then why are we paying so much more? Islanders are being unfairly penalised for their geography,” Ray questioned.
He also drew attention to the adverse impact of inflated airfares on government welfare schemes. “Under Ayushman Bharat and similar initiatives, patients are supposed to get timely medical evacuation. But when a ticket costs ₹25,000, even survival becomes a luxury,” he said.
To address the crisis, Ray has put forward three urgent recommendations to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. First, he has called for the immediate regulation and capping of airfares between Sri Vijaya Puram and major Indian cities. Second, he wants uniformity and transparency in airfare structures, particularly ensuring that short-haul island flights are priced comparably to mainland routes of similar distance. Third, he has demanded the launch of a new direct flight on the Madurai-Chennai-Sri Vijaya Puram route, catering to the Tamil-speaking population on the islands.
Ray also referenced past instances of fare regulation during special events, such as the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, and urged similar policy innovation to protect island interests. “If the Ministry delays action, the islands risk slipping into deeper economic and social disconnection,” he warned. “Unchecked fare hikes not only hurt families but also endanger the future of sustainable tourism, which is one of our few viable economic sectors.” With peak summer travel approaching and tourism-dependent livelihoods at stake, islanders await concrete steps from the Centre to bring sanity—and humanity—back to the skies.
