Transport Minister to take up exorbitant air ticket price with Centre

Agartala, Jan 15, 2025, By Our Correspondent

Expressing concern over exorbitant air ticket prices in Agartala routes, Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Wednesday assured the state assembly that he would take up the matter with the Ministry of Civil Aviation.The assurance came after senior Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman raised concern over the exorbitant air tickets in Agartala route.“The air ticket price is quite exorbitant with a ticket is sold at Rs. 8000 or Rs. 9000 if a person wants to travel to Kolkata within next four days! I urge the Transport Minister who is trying to bring down the air ticket price, to take up the matter with the Centre. People are the worst suffering of the situation”, Roy Barman said.While replying to Congress lawmaker’s concern, the Minister said he was also equally concern over the matter.“Based on media reports, I have consulted with the Director of MBB Airport to know the pros and cons. He told me that 30/40 percent seats of an aircraft sold at basic price while 30 percent seats are sold at middle price and 20 percent is sold at premium rate”, he said.Claiming that air ticket prices in Agartala routes remain under ‘base price’, he said the government has nothing to do with the ticket price as the process has already been decontrolled.“The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) monitors the ticket pricing through a mechanism- Tariff Monitoring Cell. It appeared air ticket prices remain under base price if one passenger buys it 10 or 15 days before travel. Anyway, I will take up the issue with the Ministry again”, he said