According to Total News, quoted by IRNA, Maqsoud Asaadi Samani, the secretary of the Airline Companies Association, said about the reason for the increase in the price of plane tickets in the past few days: the Supreme Council of Aviation approved a 30% rate of increase in plane tickets this spring, even in the market regulation headquarters was also proposed and approved, but the implementation of the new rate was not announced by the Civil Aviation Organization.
He continued, after eight months of waiting for price increases and not announcing new rates, airline companies were forced to apply an average price of 30% in order to survive and cover costs.
Asaadi Samani explained, since the beginning of the year, wages have increased by 30%, the cost of the customs tariff for the import of aircraft parts and engines has increased from 4,200 tomans to 28,000 tomans, at the same time, global transportation costs have increased by 30%. We have not had a price increase since January of last year.
The Secretary of the Airline Companies Association said, the cost of buying airplane tires has increased from $1,200 to over $2,700. Accordingly, the costs of airlines have increased, and this spring we received a 30% rate increase from the Supreme Council of Aviation and within two weeks. We waited for notification.
According to him, each flight seat costs $40 for the airline, but the average increase of 30% in prices still does not give the dollar cost of each flight seat.
Asaadi Samani said, opposing the increase in air ticket prices is opposing the implementation of the liberalization law, which is clearly stated in Article 161 of the Fifth Plan Law, and the airline companies have not done anything illegal in increasing the prices.
The Secretary of the Airline Companies Association noted, currently, more than 50% of the country’s fleet is grounded due to the lack of working capital and lack of cash flow of the airlines, due to the lack of increase in ticket prices, and if the financial situation of the airlines continues in this way, it is not possible to continue the services.
He said, “The promise of making the airport tolls in Riyal remained and the companies continue to pay the tolls in dollars to the government.”
The status of foreign and domestic flights in 2021(1400)
Asaadi Samani added about the performance of airlines last year, in 2021, airlines made 170,125 domestic flights, which was 277,710 flight hours.
The Secretary of the Airline Companies Association said, 21 million and 76 thousand 684 seats were offered and the number of passengers transferred was 15 million and 650 thousand, based on this, 25% of domestic flight capacity was empty last year.
He added, last year, airlines made 25 thousand and 35 foreign flights and 3 million and 257 thousand and 983 passengers were transferred, the seats offered in these flights were 4 million and 556 thousand and 237 seats with an occupancy rate of 69%. Foreign flights also served with 30% empty capacity.
Asaadi Samani also added about the number of existing planes and the purchase of new planes, currently, 175 of the 330 planes in the country’s air fleet are active, because airlines have cash flow problems to provide engines, the number of grounded planes is increasing.
The response of the airlines to the prosecutor’s request
In response to a question that the Public Prosecutor’s Office requested to stop the 30% increase in plane ticket prices, the secretary of the Airline Companies Association said, “We have no problem with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, we are subject to the law, and according to the plan law and the decision of the Supreme Council of Aviation, this 30% increase has been approved. But we do not know why the Supreme Council has not notified the airline.
He added, it was difficult for airlines to continue working, and we request the judiciary, parliament and prosecution to support airlines according to the law.