T’puram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan once again wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking urgent intervention to address the distress faced by a large number of Indian expatriates stranded in countries of the Middle East due to a shortage of flights and soaring ticket prices. In the letter sent on Thursday, Vijayan said many expatriates, including Keralites working in Gulf countries, struggled to return home as chartered and scheduled flights from the region to India remained severely limited. He urged Centre to immediately engage with airlines and flight operators to increase services from GCC countries to India. The chief minister added that the shortage of flights from major Gulf hubs left thousands of Indian nationals without viable or affordable travel options. He requested Centre to ensure the resumption and expansion of flight services to priority destinations across India, including Tier-II cities, to ease the situation. Vijayan also suggested the creation of a centralized registration mechanism to identify and prioritize passengers requiring urgent repatriation. The system, the CM said, could be operated through Indian diplomatic missions in Gulf countries or through a dedicated online portal. Vijayan added that such a platform would help authorities prioritise the most vulnerable individuals. The chief minister further requested Centre to keep state govts informed about the arrangements made for repatriation so that local authorities could assist accordingly. Raising concern over ticket pricing, Vijayan said some airlines charged excessively inflated fares for chartered flights from Gulf countries to India. He urged Centre to intervene and regulate fares to prevent exploitation of passengers during the crisis. The letter also highlighted the difficulties faced by Indian nationals currently in Gulf countries on tourist and visit visas, noting that their return to India must also be facilitated in a coordinated manner. In addition, Vijayan drew attention to the plight of passengers who used Gulf airports as transit hubs while travelling to other continents. Many of them, he said, were left stranded mid-journey due to sudden flight cancellations and airspace closures. He suggested setting up a dedicated helpline or a separate registration channel for transit passengers.
