Muscat: Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express, which operates to 11 destinations from Muscat, will implement uniform charges for repatriation of bodies from Oman.
Same rates will be applicable irrespective of the destination and the weight of the body.
“From Oman, there will be a uniform rate of RO160 with a discount of 50 per cent if the deceased is less than 12 years
of age,” a senior official of India’s flag carrier in Muscat confirmed to the Observer.
Earlier, the airline used to calculate the cargo charges based on the weight of the deceased.
From Muscat, Air India operates to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai while Air India Express flies to Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore and Thiruvananthapuram.
The charges from other GCC states are Saudi Arabia (SR 2,200), Kuwait (KD175) and Bahrain (DH225).
The new decision follows requests from various expatriate community welfare groups who argued against the existing repatriation rates and demanded total waivers.
A hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in India’s Delhi High Court last year is expected to take place shortly.
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