CM Stalin seeks civil aviation ministry to make air transport bubbles with Singapore, Malayasia for Tamil diaspora

In the letter, CM Stalin said the diaspora have to travel through Dubai, Doha and Colombo which is causing serious inconvenience and financial burden as they have to pay more air charges and travel long distance due to the detour”

Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Thursday wrote to civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, urging him to make a temporary agreement for ‘air transport bubbles’ with Singapore and Malaysia to resolve travel difficulties faced by the Tamil diaspora due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

CM Stalin said Tamils who have permanent residences in Singapore and Malaysia and other travellers from Tamil Nadu, who made their trip to India during the pandemic, are facing hardship to return due to non-availability of direct flight services. (PTI)

In his letter, Stalin said Tamils who have permanent residences in Singapore and Malaysia and other travellers from Tamil Nadu, who made their trip to India during the pandemic, are facing hardship to return due to non-availability of direct flight services.

“They have to travel through Dubai, Doha and Colombo which is causing serious inconvenience and financial burden as they have to pay more air charges and travel long distance due to the detour,” he said.

Stalin spoke of how the Indian airline industry was also impacted in the absence of such agreements with these countries. “In addition, due to the lack of agreement of temporary ‘air transport bubbles’ between the countries of Singapore and Malaysia, the travel business is being cornered by other foreign airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates and Srilankan Airlines and not to our country’s airlines,” he said.

“Hence, I request you to make a temporary ‘air transport bubbles’ agreement with Singapore and Malaysia at the earliest for providing temporary airline services and resolving the difficulties faced by the Tamil diaspora in Singapore and Malaysia.”