Air India Express seems to be in a mocking mood when the so-called ‘cattle-class’ passengers enter its premises. Every festival season in India, especially Kerala, the flight ticket rates skyrocket inviting public wrath.

However, when Tatas took over Air India, the national carrier, it was expected that they would be more humane in their approach, but this Eid season they gave a double blow, literally, by announcing that children above two years of age would be considered adults while flying Air India Express!

This is indeed a blow because Gulf countries are the catchment area for the operator that is said to be operating low-cost airlines.

During the vacation-cum-festival season, many families plan their trip back home despite the financial constraints. For them, the concessional ticket for the children was a reprieve because they could book the ticket for the children without burning their pockets. Since AI Express offered this benefit, many low-income group passengers preferred the operator, but now the scenario has changed.

During the vacation-cum-festival season, many families plan their trip back home despite the financial constraints. For them, the concessional ticket for the children was a reprieve because they could book the ticket for the children without burning their pockets.

The normal logic is that the fare is calculated based on the operating cost, in which the fuel burn is the main factor. Naturally, the fuel burn for the weight of the passengers and the luggage should also be calculated, which is normally based on the recommendations from airline regulators.

Usually, the weight of an adult is calculated to be around 72-84 kg, but now, with the change in the rules of the AI Express, even a child weighing less than 20 kg will have to pay the same amount as an adult, which sounds a bit ridiculous. Although their claim would be that they are following the paths of other operators.

When Tatas took over the airline that they owned long back, many of us expected some passenger-friendly changes in the policies. However, the indication is that they too will follow the bandwagon and change the fare to make way when the sun shines. But at whose cost? Ironically, the Indian regulators are apparently silent about it.

The recent response by the India government authorities, who said they have limitations in interfering in the affairs of Air India, is an indication to this connection. The government’s stand is that “Air India revised their services owing to airport slots availability, market demand, and monetary possibilities”.

But why are the authorities silent about the ones who sweat it out to sustain the country’s economy? For a single earning member with a wife and two children in the Gulf countries, they will have to spend nearly two months’ income to go home on vacation and come back. However, the regulators feign ignorance about this, and even the media outcry falls on deaf ears. We all know many migrant workers in the Gulf countries come from lower-income backgrounds, and they would not be able to afford such an unscrupulous fare hike during peak travel times.

The only proactive measure taken in this connection is by the Kerala Government, which has requested the Union Government to intervene in this issue and hold discussions with the airline companies to regulate the fare hike. Also, the state government is planning to operate chartered flights to Kerala and sought permission from the Ministry of Civil Aviation in this connection.

Considering the fact that airfare has escalated threefold in the last few months, the intervention of the Kerala Government is a welcome one. However, here again, the green signal should come from the central government.

To add to the woes, the India Government seems to be uninterested in permitting the operators to chart more services to the destinations where passenger demand is high during this season. In this backdrop, the government authorities should think seriously about some regulations controlling the escalation of ticket fares that make life difficult for the common man whose sweat also plays a major role in building the nation.