ANNFSU demands affordable airfares

KATHMANDU: The All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (ANNFSU) has called on Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Minister Badri Pandey to immediately regulate and make airfares more affordable, citing uncontrolled price hikes.

A team led by acting Chair of ANNFSU, Govinda Giri, submitted a memorandum to Minister Pandey at the ministry in Singha Durbar, drawing attention to the issue.

The memorandum states, “Due to continuous rainfall, major and auxiliary highways across Nepal have been blocked by floods and landslides.

Taking advantage of this situation, air travel fares have suddenly spiked, directly affecting the general public, a concern that has been widely voiced on social media and in the media.”

ANNFSU has urged the minister to scientifically regulate, control, and adjust airfare prices immediately.

They also demanded strict investigation and legal action against airline operators and anyone involved in black market practices and price hikes during this time of crisis.

The union further requested the establishment of a policy for student discounts on air travel. The memorandum also called for effective regulation of airlines and improved operations of Nepal Airlines.

In response to the memorandum, Minister Pandey acknowledged the concerns and mentioned that he had already issued directives to prevent fare hikes during festivals and crises.

He assured that under no circumstances would fares be allowed to increase, and he expressed his commitment to addressing ANNFSU’s demands.