The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), India’s apex hospitality association, has written to the Additional Secretary (UT), Ministry of Home Affairs, Shri Govind Mohan, requesting that the restriction on the number of incoming flights at Port Blair be lifted, allowing at least ten flights per day.
The Islands’ economy is based on tourism, which has come to a complete halt since the COVID19 virus forced a lockdown earlier this year.
Prior to the epidemic, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had twenty-two daily operable flights, which have since been reduced to less than four. Airfares have soared, ticket cancellations are at an all-time high, and the islands are trapped.
“The travel and tourism industry in the UT of Andaman & Nicobar are facing massive hardships due to the restriction of flights to the Island. There has been no tourism activity since the last eighteen months and the economy of the UT is in dire straits. Limiting flights is disrupting not just the industry but life on the island. Ironically, no such restriction applies on flights anywhere else across India.
To recover from the damage is going to require a massive amount of effort and time and removing the current restriction on the number of incoming flights to allow at least ten flights a day will be a good start. This will still be less than 50 per cent of flights in operation at Port Blair compared to the pre-pandemic levels,”
“Prior to COVID19, Andaman & Nicobar Islands had twenty-two operational flights a day which is now restricted to less than four flights. As a result, the islanders are unable to obtain tickets. Also, airfares have skyrocketed and the curtailment of flights has led to cancellations and cut-offs from many metros and important cities.
Students and patients who are unable to secure seats are suffering the most due to this. We hope that Government will understand the plight of the people of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and allow the operation of at least ten flights a day immediately so that airlines can incorporate the same in their new schedule from September 2021 onwards,”
says Mr Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice President, FHRAI.
Because of runway re-carpeting, airplane traffic on Port Blair will be limited to before 2 pm only between October 2021 and March 2022, according to the FHRAI. This means that even during peak tourist season, Port Blair Airport will be unable to function at full capacity.
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