12/10/2013 00:00
TW
0

THE Balearic government yesterday agreed to push ahead with plans to lobby central government into changing the current system of inter-island flight discounts for Balearic residents. The government will also ask for a grant of 18'736'500 euros to help reduce the costs of inter-island flights to a new fixed fare of 27.50 euros per person per flight. The Balearic Minister for Public Works, Housing and Transport, Mabel Cabrer, said that the Balearic Government will ask the Spanish Ministry for Public Works for an urgent meeting to analyse the Balearics's proposal for a shake up in the inter-island air transport system proposed by Balearic president Jaume Matas, in his speech on the State of the Region last week. The Balearic proposal recommends a programme of regional flights which would allow fares to be reduced by 30 percent for Balearic residents and by 65 percent for tourists and those from outside the European Union. According to the model proposed by the report, whose operation costs would be some 31 million euros, the frequencies of flights would be increased by 12 percent with a fleet of five regional aircraft. In addition to this, the system would be a “big” benefit for all citizens whether they were residents or not, and would guarantee “the growth of economic and social activity on the islands”, in the words of Cabrer. The Minister added that the inter-island operation should be put out to tender to see how many airlines would be interested in getting involved in order to prevent any single outfit enjoying a monopoly. She also revealed that 27.50 euros is the fare cap drawn up by the Balearic government adding that the airlines may be able to reduce the fares even further. Cabrer said she was confident that the Spanish Ministry for Public Works “would be receptive” to the Balearic Government's proposal as, in her opinion, the amount given to air fare discounts “would work out better”.