Calls For Expatriates To Boycott Flights Between Paris And Algeria

There have been calls by members of the national community settled abroad, especially in France, to boycott international airline flights, whether by Algerian airlines or other flights bound for Algeria, because of what they called an “illegal agreement” reached among them to keep air ticket prices inflamed especially during the summer holidays.

In a related context, the Algerian Association of the two shores of the Mediterranean basin (ADDRA) published a statement of which “Echorouk” received a copy and in which it stated that the prices of international flights to Algeria currently applied by the airlines are grossly exaggerated, and caused the utter discontent and the indignation of the Algerian community members settled abroad and especially in France.

The statement asked how we can rationally explain a round-trip ticket between Algeria and Paris, which costs 800 Euros, a price comparable to a ticket to the United States or China, while the price of the same ticket in North African countries is 150 Euros, arguing that Paris is four times more expensive than other Maghreb destinations.

The statement called on the Ministry of Transport and Public Works to intervene and scrap this “covert understanding” between the airlines to keep the international ticket prices towards Algeria unacceptably high, especially in light of the profitability of the Algerian destination.

According to the statement, these adverse practices and imaginative prices of tickets have prompted many Algerians to change their destination for the summer vacation to other parts of the Mediterranean.

The Association concluded that in view of the above reasons and causes, the destination of Algeria is threatened by a boycott because of the undue Algerian airline practices and the rest of the international airlines that travel to the homeland.

Despite the launch by the Algerian airline company of some promotional offers, notably those linking about five Spanish airports starting from 18 thousand dinars, the large-scale demand for the Algerian destination, especially during the thronged summer season makes these offers not an event, considering that the company allocates a very limited number of seats on board the planes during each trip.