30 additional flights daily from Kerala in winter plan

Thiruvananthapuram: There will be 30 additional flights daily from four international airports in the state to destinations in the country and abroad in the winter schedule effective from October 27.

They include five flights from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi.

Various airlines made the assurance at a meeting Union civil aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola convened here on Saturday.

The aviation secretary also promised to consider the demand for setting up a refuelling facility for overseas flights in the state capital.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had taken up with the civil aviation ministry the concerns of the state over the reduction in international flights.

During the last meeting of airline companies, they had demanded a reduction in tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF). The state then reduced it from 25 to five per cent at three airports and one per cent at the Kannur airport.

However, the airlines did not respond positively to this move, the chief minister said. Moreover, the demand for an increase in services from Thiruvananthapuram airport was not considered.

If the airlines are ready to introduce more flights, the state was prepared to cut the ATF tax further, he said.

He also made a demand for direct flights to the U.S. and European destinations.

He took up the issue of steep hike in fares on the Gulf and domestic sectors against the decision taken at the May 2017 meeting of the CEOs.

He wanted additional flights to such destinations during the festival seasons to reduce fares.

He also raised the concern over the reduction of 1,579 flights, 1,005 of them international, in the April-June period.

Airlines made a demand to reduce the user fee, parking fee and landing fee at the Thiruvananthapuram airport.

Airport Authority of India chairman Anuj Agarwal said that the demand could be considered only in 2021.