PANAJI: In the past three to four days charter passengers who have purchased air tickets of other airlines to fly out of Goa are in for a rude shock as the Goa immigration is not allowing them to board other airlines.

Affected by the volcanic ash and the stoppage of European flights, desperate passengers who have purchased air tickets costing Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 are told that a rule, which applies only to Goa, does not allow charter passengers who hold return air tickets, to fly other airlines.
Immigration Superintendent of Police, Mr Tony Fernandes said it is a civil aviation rule applied to Goa only that does not allow charter passengers with return tickets to board other airlines.
Some European passengers who have purchased tickets to fly from Mumbai have returned. This has put many European passengers in a fix. “Our passengers have been denied boarding,” said Mr Jude D’Souza of Riya Travels and Tours. “Daily, eight to ten passengers are returning from the Dabolim airport livid and angry. The tourism authorities need to do something immediately in such emergency cases,” he pleaded. “Most of the charter flights fly early midnight to morning. It would be wise for the Goa tourism department to brush up on some of the rules governing international charter flights or we are in a mess,” he said.