Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 21: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCC&I) today expressed anguish over the steep jump in the airfare to Kashmir while stating that there were no reasons to justify the hike in the fares even as the same is affecting the tourism.
In a statement issued here, Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad, President of KCC&I said that it has been observing with concern the steep hike in the airfares and that they have been receiving representations from various stakeholders regarding the same.
“We fail to understand as there is no apparent reason to justify the abrupt arbitrary hike in the fares on this route when no such hike is at the same time being applied in case of other domestic destinations,” he said.
He said that KCC&I has for a long time repeatedly brought to the notice of the higher authorities and gave several suggestions in this regard.
“We demand that the air connectivity to the state should be improved in terms of additional flights during peak rush months so that the airfare could be controlled, infrastructure to be put in place and maximum flight operations be extended from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm,” he said.
KCC&I requested the administration to put restrictions on the ever-increasing fares that deter tourism flow in Kashmir.
“The cost reaches such heights that people prefer to go to foreign destinations where the air tickets are lower than to Kashmir.”
Ashiq said that the hike in fares was not only a tourism issue but was a grave public interest issue.
“There are a large number of businessmen doing their business in different parts of the country, the students seeking education in different institutes of the country and the seriously ailing patients and their families who have to pay more for air travel than the cost of the medical treatment,” he added.
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