Serving alcohol may be allowed aboard pvt jets

After a hiatus of nearly 16 years,high spirits may finally make a comeback in the Indian skies. To begin with,the civil aviation ministry is planning...

After a hiatus of nearly 16 years,high spirits may finally make a comeback in the Indian skies. To begin with,the civil aviation ministry is planning to allow all privately-owned jets and chartered aircraft companies to serve liquor on board,ministry sources have revealed. For domestic passengers flying on Indian carriers like Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines,the wait may be a little longer.

There was a long pending demand from private non-scheduled aircraft operators to resume serving alcohol during the domestic flight. The matter is under active consideration of the ministry, said an official. The request to review the decision came from the civil aviation minister Praful Patel in a recent meeting,sources said. Incidentally,Patel is said to have quit drinking since the beginning of this year,barring an occasional wine,sources close to him revealed. The proposed move would enable most of the leading industrialists and their guests to sip alcohol midair in the confines of their private aircraft. Raymond Group honcho Gautam Singhania,Reliance ADAGs Anil Ambani and Southern media magnet Kalanidhi Maran are among the few who own private jets along with corporate houses like DLF,GMR,Suzlon and Videocon.

Curiously,even as AI-coded Air India flights can serve alcohol on its international flights minutes after take off in the Indian skies,the erstwhile Indian Airlines can not serve alcohol on its international IA-coded flights,until it begins the international leg of the journey. Pointing out the dichotomy in the existing rules,a senior official said,It hardly makes sense to restrict serving alcohol on the domestic sector,when the same set of passengers on an international flight can enjoy sipping a drink in the Indian airspace. Refusing to specify any time limit,the official added that it may eventually pave the way to lift the ban on serving alcohol by airlines on the domestic sector. The notification to this effect would be issued by the air safety regulator,Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),after consultation with the ministry,official added.

In 1994,the DGCA banned alcohol service by domestic air operators in the country,or consumption of alcohol by flyers on-board a domestic flight. The move followed incidents of drunken brawls among passengers and misbehaviour with cabin crew on private airlines Damania and East West. Globally,liquor is allowed on domestic flights in most countries. British Airways serves alcohol and the US allows airlines with a special licence to do so. Three years ago,three MPs attached to the ministrys consultative committee had made a strong pitch for resuming alcohol service on board domestic flights,citing benefits to the vineyard farmers.

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