Exorbitant fares dissuade Canadian PRs from flying back

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 19

Gurpal Singh, who is a permanent resident (PR) of Canada, has put his reunion with his family in Vancouver on hold, as he is waiting for the international flights from India to resume normal operation.

The Canadian Government had arranged a special repatriation flight, but with a priority to fly back its citizens first, leaving permanent residency cardholders in a limbo.

Later, it did make provisions to bring back PR holders, but travel fares were unreasonably high.

The air ticket from New Delhi to Canadian cities normally costs between $700 and $1,200. The fare forthe special repatriation flight, on the other hand, was around $3,430.

In April, a group of affected PRs had arranged a chartered flight to Vancouver and Toronto for $1,550 and $1,700, respectively, but they failed to obtain permission from the Canadian authorities.

Gurpal had come to India in December with his family. His wife and children went back to Vancouver before the Covid lockdown.

The Canadian authorities have been flying back PRs from other countries like the Philippines, Nepal and Pakistan without charging exorbitant fares.

Hailing from Fatehgarh Sahib, another Canadian PR had approached the Canadian PM’s Office and High Commission, but to no avail.

Another Delhi-based MBA professional settled in Edmonton has a similar story. He had come to Amritsar to see his parents in January, but got stuck here due to the nationwide lockdown.