Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 08 May 2025
In a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Angshuman Roy, State Youth President of Hindu Rashtra Shakti, has called for urgent intervention to revive international air connectivity from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, following the suspension of AirAsia’s Port Blair–Kuala Lumpur flight operations.
Roy lauded the Prime Minister’s leadership for inaugurating the modern International Terminal at Veer Savarkar International Airport, which had ushered in a new era of global connectivity for the islanders. He credited the launch of AirAsia’s direct international route as a “historic milestone” that enabled residents to access education, healthcare, tourism, and trade opportunities abroad.
However, the letter highlights that this transformative initiative has now collapsed due to “systemic apathy and administrative delays.” Despite prior assurances by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Roy states that crucial support mechanisms were never implemented, forcing AirAsia to shoulder unsustainable operational costs.
According to data cited in the letter, the airline was burdened with the following recurring expenses per flight:
• Route Navigation Facility Charges (RNFC): ₹5,54,952 + taxes (AAI)
• Terminal Navigation Landing Charges (TNLC): ₹49,397 + taxes (AAI)
• Landing Charges: ₹56,317 + taxes (Defence)
• Parking Charges: ₹1,500 + taxes (AAI)
• User Development Fee (UDF): ₹709 per passenger + taxes (AAI)
• Passenger Service Fee (PSF): ₹200 per passenger + taxes (NASFT)
In January 2025 alone, operational costs exceeded ₹26.25 lakhs, rendering the route financially unviable. The letter also notes that although a 0% VAT policy exists for aviation fuel in Port Blair, the Indian Oil Corporation has failed to provide competitive pricing, resulting in a dismal uptake of just 10 KL of fuel.
Roy urged the Prime Minister to take the following actions immediately:
1. Direct the authorities to waive landing and parking charges for international flights, as previously committed.
2. Ensure coordination between AAI, Defence authorities, and Indian Oil Corporation to align Sri Vijaya Puram’s aviation ecosystem with national norms.
3. Establish a monitoring mechanism to sustain and revive international connectivity to the Islands.
“The youth of Andaman & Nicobar Islands stand ready to contribute to your mission of Viksit Bharat,” Roy wrote. “We implore you to safeguard this critical lifeline before bureaucratic inertia extinguishes it.”
Copies of the letter were also sent to the Hon’ble Lt. Governor, the Chief Secretary of the A&N Administration, senior officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Civil Aviation, the Member of Parliament representing the Islands, and all major media organisations.