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The RSP leader further accused the government of downplaying the crisis, rather than resolving the current situation in the country. "This is very evident, that almost most of the major hotels are being closed. LPG Supply has been totally disrupted. It is a big problem prevailing in our country, but intead of resolving the issue, finding some alternate ways, government is claiming that there is no shortage, no crisis nothing is there, real situation is entirely different, major hotels are getting closed, supply is being disrupted, government has to take urgent steps to resolve the issue," Premchandran told ANI.Commenting on reports of airlines hiking ticket prices due to fuel surcharges amid the West Asia crisis, Premachandran stated that there is no effective control over airfares. He further alleged that passengers are being exploited by airlines in the name of the ongoing conflict. "They are exploiting the passenger in the name of the war, there is no control and regulation, the country is going into a big chaos becasue government is not acting properly, this is the main issue which we would like to highlight," added Premchandran.

Premchandran's statement on the fuel surcharge following the Air India phased announcement of fuel surcharges on both domestic and international routes. Air India said that this step has been necessitated by a steep rise in jet fuel prices arising from the geopolitical situation in the Gulf region. In a statement, the airline said aviation turbine fuel (ATF), which accounts for nearly 40 per cent of an airline's operating costs, has witnessed a significant price escalation since early March 2026 due to supply interruptions."In India, this pressure is amplified by high Excise Duty and VAT on ATF in major metro cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, magnifying cost....and placing substantial strain on airline operating economics," the statement said. According to the statement, the new fuel surcharge will be implemented in three phases and will apply to travel on all flights, including those operated by Air India Express.The first phase will apply to all new bookings made from March 12. Under this phase, domestic routes within India and flights to SAARC countries will see a fuel surcharge of Rs 399, which was previously not applied. Flights to West Asia and the Middle East will carry a surcharge of USD 10. For Southeast Asia routes, the surcharge will rise from USD 40 to USD 60, while flights to Africa will see the surcharge rise from USD 60 to USD 90.

Phase 2 of the surcharge expansion will take effect for bookings made from March 18. Fuel surcharges on flights to Europe will increase from USD 100 to USD 125. For routes to North America and Australia, the surcharge will increase from USD 150 to USD 200.A third phase, covering Far East markets including Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, will be announced in due course, the release said. Meanwhile, the Visakhapatnam Hotel Merchant Association has requested the Centre to provide support and communication over the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.The shortage of LPG has emerged amid global energy supply disruptions triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. In response, the Union government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act to prioritise domestic LPG supply, reserving higher allocations for households, hospitals, and essential services while restricting commercial distribution in several regions.