The Department related Standing Committee for Transport, Tourism and Culture met on Friday to discuss “issues affecting the Civil Aviation Sector in the current scenario”. Members asked several questions related to airfare and the price cap in the meeting of the Aviation officers that also included the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Several members asked as to why was there still a cap on flights and when would the normal schedule of flights resume.
Civil aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal is said to have told the committee that the price cap was due to the bubble system which is still in place and that an educated call would be taken by the concerned ministries in the near future.
Members expressed their concern over the high ticket price and why the government was not able to bring it under control. The officials of the ministry explained to the committee that there were several factors including the rise in aviation fuel that was in a way responsible for their price rise of tickets.
Members suggested to the aviation officials that the government should start regularising flights, not just domestic routes but also internationally given the fact that the maximum number of people are now doubly vaccinated and it will only help in lowering the ticket prices further.
Members also raised concerns over the domestic flights that are less than two hours and had no meal facilities for fliers and said that it was discriminatory. “ Is there any assurance that there will be no Covid for passengers who do not eat on a flight for more than two hours and there will be Covid if there was a flight distance of lesser than two hours and food was supplied?”
MoCA Secy told the committee that he will be placing the concern before the concerned authorities even as such a call had to be taken by the health specialist committee. A member of the committee Suggested that such expert committees were advising on the resumption of meals on flights should also appear before this committee to explain their logic.
Another member was concerned with the privatisation of Air India which was now not the national carrier anymore so what would happen to the privileges that were assured to members of Parliament among others. Bansal said that he would find out the details and give it in writing to the committee in the next few days. Another member expressed concern over the future of Air India employees especially their salaries, health benefits etc.
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