Congress hits out at Centre over Air India international flight cuts

The Congress hit out at the Centre for 'gross mismanagement' over reports that Air India will cut international flights till July. The airline's CEO confirmed the move, citing a 'massive rise in jet fuel prices' making flights unprofitable.

The Congress on Sunday hit out at the Centre over reports that Air India will cut international flights till July amid a jet fuel price surge, alleging "gross mismanagement" and accusing the government of neglecting the country's economic interests.

Congress Alleges 'Gross Mismanagement'

In a post on X, the party, quoting a news update on the development, said, "The amount of mismanagement of our country is so gross. Imagine India's second biggest carrier shutting down international flights for the next few months."

The opposition party further alleged that the government is not concerned about the long-term impact on the nation. "Govt doesn't care, and it is damaging India's future prospects. Only thing they care is winning state elections," it added.

Air India Cites Unviable Operations

On Saturday, Air India had cut flight schedules and warned of further reductions in the coming months as a "massive rise in jet fuel prices," along with airspace restrictions and longer flying routes, has made several international operations unviable, said sources citing a communication by its CEO Campbell Wilson.

Flagging the immediate challenge, sources said that Wilson had indicated that the airline had reduced some flying for April and May due to the sharp spike in fuel costs, adding that these factors "have caused many of our international flights to become unprofitable to operate."

According to sources, the CEO further noted that the situation remains "extremely challenging," forcing the airline to take additional steps. "The airspace and jet fuel price situation remains extremely challenging, leaving us no choice but to further trim schedules for June and July," he said.

Impact on Domestic Flights

While domestic operations have also been impacted, the effect has been relatively lower. "The profitability of domestic flights has also been significantly affected, but to a lower degree thanks to the government's limitation of the domestic fuel price rise to 25%," Wilson said.

Measures to Offset Costs

To offset rising costs, the airline has taken pricing measures, though with limited headroom. "We have increased airfares and imposed fuel surcharges but... these higher airfares impact customer demand, so we can only raise fares so far before people decide to stay home," he added.

(ANI)

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