Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, May 24: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha has urged the Centre to make airfares on Gulf routes affordable, citing the difficulties faced by Indians living in Gulf countries during the summer travel season.

In a letter addressed to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Tankha raised concerns over soaring ticket prices on India-Gulf routes.

The Congress leader said more than one crore Indians residing across Gulf nations were being severely affected by the sharp rise in airfare prices on routes connecting India with the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries.

Tankha noted that a large number of middle-class workers in the Gulf depend on annual summer visits to reunite with their families in India.

“For most of them, the annual summer visit is not a luxury but a necessity,” he stated in the letter.

He pointed out that employers in Gulf countries generally provide a Fixed Travel Allowance (FTA) of around AED 1,000, which earlier helped offset travel expenses but is now insufficient due to steep airfare hikes.

According to Tankha, airfares on India-Gulf routes have more than doubled, making travel unaffordable for many expatriate families.

He said the issue was not only economic but also emotional, as prolonged separation affects families, children and social wellbeing.

Tankha urged the Ministry of Civil Aviation to immediately review fare structures on India-UAE and other Gulf routes and consider subsidies during the peak summer months from June to August.

He also suggested increasing the frequency and availability of budget airline services on these routes to provide relief to passengers.

The Congress MP said Indian embassies in Gulf countries could verify the concerns being faced by expatriate communities.