Darfuris escalate objections to airfare hike
A chorus of dissent has erupted from citizens of Darfur in response to a 20 per cent hike in airfares to and from the region. Reasons for the fare rise conflict. Darfuris are also calling on the Khartoum government to lift restrictions imposed last year on travel on Unamid flights. As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, a decision last week by private airlines Tarco, Marsland Aviation, Sun Air, and Badr Airlines to raise fares on flights to and from Darfur only, has prompted angry reactions in the region. “The citizens of Darfur have escalated rejection of the decision taken by the Sudanese airlines, and demand they reconsider the decision so that Darfur might not be isolated,” a source told Radio Dabanga. “We are also demanding cancellation of the decision taken by the Khartoum government last year, prohibiting travel of citizens of Darfur via Unamid flights,” he said. The activist asserted that the citizens have also harshly criticized the state governments of Darfur as well as the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) for “not standing behind the challenges” faced by Darfuris. “The families of the DRA are traveling at the expense of Darfur people,” he said, pointing out that the 2012 decision to restrict travel by Darfuris via Unamid flights “was enacted on the initiative of a memorandum from those same airlines, who appealed to Parliament to protect their business interests”. He accused the airlines of “depriving citizens, patients and students of travel”. In a show of solidarity with citizens, the legislative council of South Darfur state has reportedly threatened to “boycott all airlines operating in the state if they don’t reverse the increase in the prices of airline tickets”. The Deputy General Manager of Tarco Airlines, Major Mohamed Abdul Rasul, said that “the Civil Aviation Authority of Sudan has taken the decision on ticket prices”. The Chairman of the Chamber of Air Transport, Captain Saiyf Al Din Marzouk, attributed the decision issued by the Civil Aviation Authority to “the high prices of fuel and the difficulty in obtaining hard currency”. As previously highlighted by Radio Dabanga, the current security situation in Darfur makes road travel hazardous. Air travel is therefore the only “safe” means of moving between Darfur and Khartoum. File photo Related: Airfare hike riles Darfuris (1 September 2013)
A chorus of dissent has erupted from citizens of Darfur in response to a 20 per cent hike in airfares to and from the region. Reasons for the fare rise conflict. Darfuris are also calling on the Khartoum government to lift restrictions imposed last year on travel on Unamid flights.
As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, a decision last week by private airlines Tarco, Marsland Aviation, Sun Air, and Badr Airlines to raise fares on flights to and from Darfur only, has prompted angry reactions in the region.
“The citizens of Darfur have escalated rejection of the decision taken by the Sudanese airlines, and demand they reconsider the decision so that Darfur might not be isolated,” a source told Radio Dabanga.
“We are also demanding cancellation of the decision taken by the Khartoum government last year, prohibiting travel of citizens of Darfur via Unamid flights,” he said.
The activist asserted that the citizens have also harshly criticized the state governments of Darfur as well as the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) for “not standing behind the challenges” faced by Darfuris.
“The families of the DRA are traveling at the expense of Darfur people,” he said, pointing out that the 2012 decision to restrict travel by Darfuris via Unamid flights “was enacted on the initiative of a memorandum from those same airlines, who appealed to Parliament to protect their business interests”.
He accused the airlines of “depriving citizens, patients and students of travel”.
In a show of solidarity with citizens, the legislative council of South Darfur state has reportedly threatened to “boycott all airlines operating in the state if they don’t reverse the increase in the prices of airline tickets”.
The Deputy General Manager of Tarco Airlines, Major Mohamed Abdul Rasul, said that “the Civil Aviation Authority of Sudan has taken the decision on ticket prices”.
The Chairman of the Chamber of Air Transport, Captain Saiyf Al Din Marzouk, attributed the decision issued by the Civil Aviation Authority to “the high prices of fuel and the difficulty in obtaining hard currency”.
As previously highlighted by Radio Dabanga, the current security situation in Darfur makes road travel hazardous. Air travel is therefore the only “safe” means of moving between Darfur and Khartoum.
File photo
Related: Airfare hike riles Darfuris (1 September 2013)
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