Kerala-Bahrain flight tickets cost Rs 30-39k as only 750 fliers allowed per week from India: Puri

The average fares on special flights operating between Kerala and Bahrain are between Rs 30,000 and Rs 39,000 as the Gulf country allows only 750 passengers to come from India per week, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday.

The average fares on special flights operating between Kerala and Bahrain are between Rs 30,000 and Rs 39,000 as the Gulf country allows only 750 passengers to come from India per week, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday. Moreover, Puri said on Twitter that average fares on Kerala-Dubai flights are between Rs 6,500 and Rs 12,800 while Kerala-Doha flights cost between Rs 7,150 and Rs 15,500.

Earlier during the day, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan met Puri and told him about "the surge in the pricing of flight tickets" from GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries to India. Muraleedharan tweeted that he "sought his (Puri's) urgent attention to alleviate the financial and mental hardships faced by Keralite expatriates working in those countries".

Puri responded to Muraleedharan's tweets, saying: "Bahrain has placed a restriction of 750 passengers per week from India & fare band on Kerala-Bahrain sector is ₹30,000 to 39,000 for Indian carriers." "Average fare band for Indian carriers on Kerala-Dubai sector is ₹6,500 to 12,800 & on Kerala-Doha sector it is ₹7,150 to 15,500," he added. Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, special international passenger flights have been operating since July through bilateral air bubble arrangements between India and 18 other countries. Kerala is connected to UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar via these air bubbles, Puri said.

Under an air bubble pact, the countries' airlines can operate special passenger flights between their territories with certain restrictions.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)