ITANAGAR : Expressing concern over soaring airfares and limited market competition in the Northeast region, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) national general secretary Tarh Johny has written to Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, urging parliamentary intervention to address the issue.

In a representation addressed to Gogoi on Sunday, with copies marked to Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Johny highlighted that air travel in the Northeastern states is an “essential necessity” rather than a luxury due to challenging terrain, sparse railway networks, and long road travel durations.

Citing instances of alleged fare disparities, the youth leader pointed out that a non-stop 50-minute flight between Imphal and Guwahati was priced at Rs 11,687 on July 18. In contrast, a much longer 2.40 hour non-stop flight from Imphal to New Delhi was available for Rs 10,525 on the same day.

“Such fare disparities have caused widespread concern among passengers and deserve careful examination by the authorities concerned,” Johny said in his letter, adding that limited airline options on regional routes further choke affordable travel options for students, patients, businesspersons, and families during emergencies.

Highlighting that the issue affects citizens across Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim, and Assam, the youth leader requested that Gogoi raise the matter during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The representation called on the Centre to order a comprehensive review of airfare trends by the Civil Aviation Ministry, instruct the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to examine volatile fare spikes, promote airline competition, establish a transparent airfare monitoring mechanism, and frame a long-term policy for equitable regional air connectivity. (Source: PTI)