The aim of launching a flagship airline is not for profit but to reduce the cost of air travel to the island, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Erhan Arıklı, said, BRT reports.
Speaking on a television broadcast, Arıklı pointed to the importance of affordable air transport to island countries saying, “There is no flight ticket less than 6,000 TL. Two companies control prices. If the number of flights increase, the prices also go down. We started an initiative for the new airline. We talked to airline companies in Turkey about the establishment of the company without money. The establishment of the company has reached the charter stage. However, we could not pass it through the Council of Ministers”. he said.
Arıklı indicated that this had been a political decision. “The airline company could not be established in the past. No one has taken any action on this. I think they are trying to prevent it because the YDP is trying to do what no one else could do”.
The transport minister said that he hoped the problems related to the new airline will be resolved this week, however, if they were not resolved he was willing to resign.
Arıklı said, “There is no point in staying in the government if my most important project I have prepared is blocked. If such a beautiful project cannot pass the Council of Ministers, there is no point in staying there“, he said.
4.5G/5G Internet Project
Arıklı stated that no progress could be made on the 4.5G/5G internet project and that a tender was made, but there were some problems.
Minister Arıklı said, “I want to do business. There is no point in remaining where I can’t work”, he said.