Back to terminal decay?

Just when privatisation, and the competition it brought in its wake, was set to alter the face of domestic aviation in the country, comes a ...

Just when privatisation, and the competition it brought in its wake, was set to alter the face of domestic aviation in the country, comes a new proposal to stop private airlines from deploying their own ground staff for customer service.

The cabinet, it appears, has decided on this move, citing security considerations. Which is strange, to say the least, because the one serious incident of security violation which took place in the ten years since this sector has been liberalised involved the Indian Airlines—the hijacking of the ill-fated IC 814 from Kathmandu. In contrast, the record of private airlines on this score has been commendable, with their employees being cleared by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security before coming on board. There is nothing to indicate that these organisations are about to botch up their copybook, so what are we talking about?

Perhaps this move has nothing to do with security reasons and everything to do with the desire in some quarters of this government to go back to the good old days of control and rule. So let’s go ahead and nationalise civil aviation all over again, and hand back to that indestructible triumvirate of Air-India, Indian Airlines and the Airports Authority of India their dystopian fiefdoms of yore.

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Let’s therefore give up any hopes we may have nursed of actually acquiring modern, well-equipped airports to replace the cattle sheds that pass off for terminals in several parts of the country today. Yes, and while we are about it, let’s get ready for those familiar scowls at check-in counters and that old intransigence from ground staff.

As for benighted concepts like customer care and professional courtesy, perish the thought. We really are not ready for them.

Think of the positives. A re-nationalisation project will work wonders in creating leaner, meaner passengers who would have occasion to exercise their muscles and minds—not to speak of tempers—while negotiating the terminal decay that are national airline services today.

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