Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu has said that the government is going to start a programme to make aircraft in the country. He stressed that the country should have Made-in-India aircraft to meet the growing demand in the aviation sector. He said, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is exploring the possibility with the Russian Aircraft Company Sukhoi SJ 100 to get the technologies to make the aircraft in the country. Replying to a private member resolution, Appropriate Measures to Regulate Airfare in the Country, the Minister highlighted that the availability of aircraft is a serious issue, as certain global players are manufacturing these aircraft. The Minister’s response came in response to MPs’ concerns over the rising airfare across the country.
The Minister pointed out that the centre has the power to cap the airfare in extraordinary circumstances, so that passengers do not experience opportunistic pricing. He said, on several occasions, the government exercised its power to cap the airfare. He said, during the recent Indigo crisis, the government capped the airfares. Mr Naidu said, during the festive season and a specific period, demand surges on specific routes for which capacity needs to be augmented to meet the demand. He said the government has directed the airline’s operator to display a tariff sheet while booking the tickets. He said, the Tariff Monitoring Unit has been set up at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to track airfares and verify whether airlines are pricing tickets within their declared tariff sheets.
The Minister said, Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) forms the major chunk in the air ticket. He said, Centre has urged several states to reduce taxes on ATF. He also highlighted the merits of the UDAN scheme, saying that it has democratized air travel in the country and brought inclusiveness in the aviation sector. Mr. Naidu said, one crore 57 lakh people have availed the benefit of the UDAN since the implementation of this scheme. He expressed hope that the country is going to witness more and more airlines under UDAN in the future. He said, the government has given NOC to three new airlines and two new airlines have applied for NOC.
Earlier, speaking on the resolution Appropriate Measures to Regulate Airfare in the Country, Congress MP Varsha Eknath Gaikwad raised questions over the rising airfare and user development fees at the airports. Another Congress MP KC Venugopal, said, pilot bodies are demanding a judicial enquiry in connection with the recent Indigo crisis. Echoing the same view, Ramashankar Rajbhar of the Samajwadi Party also said that during the Indigo crisis, the airfare was hiked multiple times. Jagdambika Pal of the BJP said, airline operators raise airfare on the basis of flexi prices five to six times. He said, under the Modi government, the aviation sector witnessed transformative changes. Arun Nehru of DMK, Saugata Roy of TMC also spoke on the resolution.
After the Minister’s reply, Shafi Parambil of Congress withdrew his resolution. Later, the House was adjourned for the day to meet again on Monday.
