AI's ticket to safety costs Rs 45,000

MUMBAI: The 320 Indians who were evacuated on the special Air India (AI) flight had to pay more than double the cost of a single ticket from Cairo to Mumbai. A one-way ticket in this sector averages at Rs 17,000-20,000, but stranded travellers said they had to pay Rs 45,000 before they were assured of a seat on the AI 160 flight to Mumbai. For a few people, the fare was as high as Rs 55,000.
Tourists and honeymooners, many of whom were on a budget and did not have access to immediate funds, were the worst hit. Many fliers complained that they had to pay cash on the spot to be able to procure a flight ticket.
“There’s no denying that the AI flight was a boon because our earlier flight had been cancelled. But we had to pay through our nose to get on the plane. At the end of a holiday, most people do not have so much cash in hand. Fortunately, I had managed to keep some money aside, and I used it to buy two tickets,” said a Mumbai-based businessman and his wife.
Shashank Jain—an Ahemdabad-based businessman who had been based in Cairo for six months—said he had to fork out Rs 55,000 per ticket. He was travelling with five family members and had to part with approximately Rs 3 lakh to reach Mumbai safely. “I did not expect the flight tickets to be so expensive. But what choice did I have? The situation was getting worse. My parents are old and it was important that they be evacuated to safety,” said Jain.
The AI spokesperson refused to comment on the fares. An AI official, on the condition of anonymity said they had no option but to charge such high fares as a special flight had to be diverted for the operation. “The Mumbai-Cairo flight was empty. “Also, the airline does not have a base in Cairo. All check-in and take-off formalities had to be managed with limited staff,” said the senior AI official.