Thiruvananthapuram: Thirty more daily flights would operate from the four international airports in Kerala starting this winter, Union Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola said on Saturday.
Kharola was addressing a meeting of airline representatives called by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, here.
Five more flights would be introduced from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, Kharola said.
Pinarayi reminded the officials during the meeting that in last year's meet, the aviation industry demanded that the aviation turbine fuel (ATF) tax be reduced. Though it was done, no favourable decision was taken to increase the number of flights.
"We are ready to further reduce the tax on ATF if the airlines are ready to increase their flights to the various Kerala airports," the chief minister said.
Pinarayi also raised the issue of various airlines jacking up the fares on the Middle East routes, and even as the issue was raised numerous times, no action has been taken.
As per the figures of the Aiports Authority of India (AAI), in 2018-19 from the state capital, 645 flights had been curtailed, while in 2019-20 from april-june, 1579 flights had been reduced, 1,005 of which were international flights.
This was a huge cause of worry for the state, which was wooing investments from the IT sector in a big way, the release said.
Top officials of the aviation industry and representatives of 19 airlines were present at the meeting.
(With inputs from IANS and PTI)
