Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Saturday asked the Center to put a cap to airfares to the Gulf sector to prevent the 'unjustified' hike of fares by airlines during the festival and summer vacation seasons.
The state also wanted the Center to introduce more Air India Express flights and persuade private airlines to operate additional flights to the Gulf region under the open sky policy.
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In a letter to civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought the Center's intervention to control airfares.
The chief minister pointed out that airlines had hiked the fares five to six times for destinations in West Asia to the state, causing hardship to ordinary workers who planned to visit home town during the Ramadan festival.
It seems that airlines were cashing in on the demand during the festival season and closure of educational institutions for the summer vacation in the Gulf, Pinarayi said.
"This kind of hike in airfares had never occurred in the past," the chief minister added.
Pinarayi also referred to the meeting of airlines CEO's here on May 15 and the civil aviation secretary's suggestion that the Center would consider providing more seats for a shorter 15 day period in festival seasons to control fares.
However, instead of lowering airfares, airlines have hiked fares, Pinarayi said.