New Delhi: Hours after Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha compared the price of air travel with auto rickshaw travel on Tuesday, Sinha clarified that airfare in India is very affordable and he did not imply that people use airplanes for short distances.
"So on a per km basis, our airfare is among lowest in the world. I am not implying you use planes for short distances. Its to emphasise how affordable the fares are that when you compare them with other means of transport, you find that they're quite affordable," clarified Sinha.
Earlier in the day, Sinha had stated that airfare is cheaper than travelling by an auto-rickshaw in the country. He, of course, explained how breaking down the expense, Sinha said while auto-rickshaws in India charge Rs 5 per kilometre, airlines, on the other hand, charge you Rs. 4 per kilometre.