Sharma: Want to cap air fare at `2,500 on small town routes

LUCKNOW: Union minister of state for tourism and culture (independent charge) and civil aviation Mahesh Sharma said the Modi government wanted to take air travel to the masses. Speaking in Bahraich on Saturday, Sharma said, “We want to cap air fares at Rs 2500 for one hour for certain small town routes. Once the new civil aviation policy is in place, even the middle class and the poor would be able to undertake air travel to tier II and tier III cities, most of which would be connected by air.”

Union minister of state for tourism and culture (independent charge) and civil aviation Mahesh Sharma said the Modi government wanted to take air travel to the masses. Speaking in Bahraich on Saturday, Sharma said, “We want to cap air fares at Rs 2500 for one hour for certain small town routes. Once the new civil aviation policy is in place, even the middle class and the poor would be able to undertake air travel to tier II and tier III cities, most of which would be connected by air.” Sharma said that the country had 416 airports out of which barely 86 were fully in use. “We plan to connect religious places and sites including Buddhist circuits through nearly 80 additional airports. For cheaper air travel we also intend to seek cooperation of state governments,” Sharma said. Buddhist circuit is one of the five circuits identified under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the union ministry of tourism and Rs 120 crore has been earmarked this year for the development of the Buddhist circuit under the scheme.