The Hindu Business Line : ‘Ministry to go with AG’s views on Delhi airport’

Modernisation hurdles: The Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, and the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Mr K. Gohain, addressing the media after the valedictory session of the Aviation Safety Week, which opened in the Capital on Monday. —

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Dec. 10

Delhi International Airport Ltd, the new joint venture company set up to modernise and operate the airport, is unlikely to face any hurdles from the Ministry of Civil Aviation for its proposed plans to set up subsidiaries that would handle cargo and hospitality venture.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is a minority partner in the joint venture, had objected to the proposal stating that its revenue share portion from the joint venture could be negatively impacted by this move.

Addressing the media, the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation would go with the views of the Attorney-General on the issue. The AG is said to have given his nod for DIAL proposal to set up separate subsidiaries for looking after its cargo and hospitality plans.

AAI objection

The setting up of subsidiaries was, however, objected too by the AAI, which felt that the setting up of subsidiaries would result in loss of revenue for them.

The matter was then referred to the Attorney-General for his view, who felt that there was nothing wrong in DIAL decision to set up subsidiaries.

“The Attorney-General is the highest law officer of the land. There is no question of not going with the opinion expressed by him,” Mr Patel said on the sidelines of the Aviation Safety Week.

Fly Air India

The Minister also exhorted the public to fly with Air India and felt that the media was unfairly targeting the airline for delays that it has witnessed in the recent past.

“The public needs to realise that Air India has an old fleet, its aircraft are used not only used to ferry VVIPs but also to operate Haj charters,” the Minister added.

In the recent times the airline has had to delay, cancel and curtail flights due to the reasons mentioned by the Minister.

Low visibility conditions

Talking about airline preparedness to operate flights in low visibility conditions, the Director General Civil Aviation, Mr Kanu Gohain, said that Air India had 357 Cat III trained pilots, while Jet Airways had 58 such pilots, the low-cost airline IndiGo had 26, Kingfisher 1, Go Air 8and Air Deccan 4.

CAT III conditions prevail when visibility at the airport drops to 50 metres, thereby, making normal flight operations difficult.

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