Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 21 April 2025
Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament representing the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, has raised a strong appeal to the Government of India and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to intervene urgently in regulating what he describes as “exorbitant and arbitrary” airfares between Port Blair (Sri Vijaya Puram) and key mainland cities.
In a statement issued on Monday, the MP highlighted the growing concern among island residents over skyrocketing airfares on routes connecting Sri Vijaya Puram with cities such as Kolkata, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore, Delhi, Bhubaneswar, and others. “What once cost ₹4,000 to ₹6,000 now ranges between ₹15,000 and ₹30,000 for a short two-hour journey, especially during peak seasons and holidays,” Mr. Ray said, adding that this has placed a severe financial burden on the economically weaker sections of the island population.
He further pointed out that the lack of industrial growth and limited employment opportunities in the Union Territory make affordable travel vital for both livelihood and emergency needs. The situation has worsened, he said, due to the drastic reduction in subsidized passenger ship services — previously a lifeline for Islanders — and the diversion of two newly-constructed passenger ships, MV Atal and MV Ashoka, funded under the UT budget at a cost of ₹1,294 crore.
“In the absence of reliable maritime alternatives, airlines have taken undue advantage of the monopoly and hiked fares unjustifiably,” Mr. Ray alleged. He also questioned why fares remain high despite lower airport charges like RNFC, TNLC, and UDF at Sri Vijaya Puram’s Veer Savarkar International Airport, compared to major mainland airports.
The MP stressed that inflated fares are not just an economic issue but also a humanitarian one. “In medical emergencies, when patients need to be urgently shifted to mainland hospitals under schemes like Ayushman Bharat, these fares become a life-threatening barrier,” he noted.
Drawing attention to the recent fare cap measures implemented during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj earlier this year, Mr. Ray urged the government to adopt a similar approach for the Islands. He proposed three key measures:
1 Immediate regulation and capping of airfares on all flights between Sri Vijaya Puram and major mainland cities.
2 Ensuring uniformity and transparency in airfare structures, in line with routes of similar distance and flight duration within the mainland.
3 Introducing a direct flight between Madurai and Sri Vijaya Puram via Chennai, catering to the long-standing demand of the Tamil community in the Islands.
“These actions are essential not just for the welfare of the Islanders, but also for promoting sustainable, year-round tourism,” Mr. Ray said, warning that unchecked fare inflation could further isolate the territory.
He concluded with a firm call to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and all concerned authorities to treat the issue with utmost urgency and take immediate corrective action in the larger public interest.