Grounding safety to let airlines stay afloat

Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh disses DGCA's recommendation

sarthak

Sarthak Ray | January 6, 2012



Poor airlines companies! First, they flew their lot directly into losses. Now, the DGCA wants to cancel some licences also?!

Already in tailspin, Kingfisher Airlines was damned in a report by the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) over several lapses in safety standards. The aviation authority says that the lapses merit a cancellation of licences. It has not spared the state-owned Air India Express, calling for restricting its operations.

Well, Kingfisher and other metal birds need not despair. Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh will not let them be gone with the wind. He shall fight, even the DGCA, for the right of Kingfisher to drift in and out of coma while the fliers and the grounded foot the bills. Singh thinks a cancellation of the licence would have "repercussions for the entire industry". He said in an interaction with the media that the ministry will "recommend measures to ensure safety."

The minister did not stop here. He went out on a limb to bat for financial assistance (bailout?) for the sick airlines.

On the one hand, the State Bank of India has declared its loan to the airlines a non-performing asset. Minister Singh, on the other, is keen that the government make sure that there is "availability of working capital to all airlines".

 

Comments

 

Other News

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi

New pathways for tourism growth

Traditionally, India’s tourism policy has been based on three main components: the number of visitors, building tourist attractions and providing facilities for tourists. Due to the increase in climate-related issues and environmental destruction that occurred over previous years, policymakers have b

Is the US a superpower anymore?

On April 8, hours after warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight,” US president Donald Trump, exhibiting his unique style of retreating from high-voltage brinkmanship, announced that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The weekend talks in Islamabad have failed and the futur

Machines communicate, humans connect

There is a moment every event professional knows—the kind that arrives without warning, usually an hour before the curtain rises. Months of meticulous planning are in place. And then comes the call: “We’ll also need a projector. For the slides.”   No email

Why India is entering a ‘stagflation lite’ phase

India’s macroeconomic narrative is quietly shifting—from a rare “Goldilocks” equilibrium of stable growth and contained inflation to a more fragile phase where external shocks are beginning to dominate domestic policy outcomes. The numbers still look reassuring at first glance: GDP


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter