IA, A-I unions threaten to go on strike

With the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for Civil Aviation throwing its lot with the national carriers during a discussion on the Naresh Chandra Committee report, it is now the turn for employee associations to raise the slogan of protest.

Six different associations belonging to Indian Airlines, Air-India and Pawan Hans have written to Prime Minister Vajpayee against the possible implementation of the report, which submitted its findings on civil aviation reforms last month. The associations have taken the plea that in most countries only a couple of airlines are granted the privilege to operate overseas, so there was no need for Government to revise the existing policy on the matter and permit private domestic carriers to fly abroad. They have further questioned the approach of the panel, which in their view, has been biased towards private operators. Citing the recommendation to abolish landing fees for aircraft with a capacity of 80 and below, these employees have alleged that the suggestion will directly benefit private domestic operator, who have recently inducted small planes in large numbers.

Fearing that the panel report favours entry of foreign airlines in a big way, these associations say they do not want their “Indian” identity subsumed in the process. “Being national carriers, we cannot forego our identity. We want to remain swadeshi,” they wrote in the letter to PM. The panel report seems to have split the aviation community. While private operators have come out in full support of the findings, national carriers as well as other PSUs like the Airports Authority of India have been voicing quiet resentment in the matter.