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Tag: Ashok Gajapati Raju

Domestic Carriers Allowed to Roll out Zero Bag Fares:Modi Govt’s Diwali Gift

[New Delhi] Domestic Carriers Allowed to Roll out Zero Bag Fares :Modi Govt’s Diwali Gift
Modi Govt Bows To Domestic Airlines And Allows them to Roll out Zero Bag Fares
Three domestic carriers — IndiGo+SpiceJet + AirAsia India — had earlier approached the regulator with the “zero bag fare”, offering discount on no check-in luggage.
Aviation regulator DGCA has now allowed domestic carriers to roll out “zero bag” fares and charge penalty against check-in baggage for tickets booked under such an offer.
At present all domestic private airlines except national carrier Air India allow a flyer to carry up to 15 kgs of check-in baggage without any cost.
Air India allows its passengers to carry up to 23 kgs of check-in baggage free of cost.
“Airlines are allowed to offer no check-in baggage/hand baggage only fare scheme subject to the condition that the penalty to be imposed on a passenger, who avails such schemes but turns up with baggage for check-in at airline counter, cannot exceed the amount of incentive offered compared to lowest fare,” Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in its updated Air Transport Circular for unbundling of services.
The circular was issued early this week.
The offer, however, came with a rider that those who book tickets at discounted fares but later decide to carry check-in baggage would have to pay a fee of Rs 500 for up to 10 kg and Rs 750 for up to 15 kg baggage.
In an air transport circular in July, which has now been superseded by the latest circular, the DGCA had said check-in baggage charges (above 15 kgs of free check-in baggage allowance) can be charged separately on opt-in basis as part of the unbundling of services.

Aviation Minister Tears National Carrier Air India’s Financial Stress

[New Delhi] Aviation Minister Tears National Carriers Financial Stress.
Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Says That His Air India Is Facing Tremendous Financial Stress
Civil Aviation Minister Raju said today That National carrier Air India is under “tremendous” financial stress and needs to ensure that its team works in a more “cohesive” manner
He Added “Financially, if you look at Air India, it is under tremendous stress. Historically, it has got a legacy and we need to outgrow it,” he said.Air India, which is in the red, has a debt burden of around Rs 40,000 crore and is surviving on a bailout package approved in 2012.
Noting that are plus and minus points, Raju said, “in certain ways, it has to still pull up its socks”.
“I, for one, wish them well. We would wish and are trying to make their team more cohesive because ultimately it is the team that delivers.
Unfortunately for us…Indians are excellent in thought and very difficult to work as a team,” the minister said at an event.
He applauded Air India’s efforts in the recent massive evacuation of Indian citizens abroad from war zones.
In April 2012, the UPA government had approved Air India’s turnaround plan with a committed public funding of Rs 30,231 crore, staggered over a period of nine years, with some specific riders.

Indian Aviation Minister Seems Fed up With Decade Old 5/20 Rule So Calls It Pain in the Neck

[New Delhi]Indian Govt Seems Fed up With 5/20 Norm So Calls It Pain in the Neck
GoAir+Vistara+AirAsia India Only Are Not Eligible For Operating International Flights From India as they do Not Meet the 5/20 Norm.
Making a strong case for doing away with the ‘5/20’ norm for domestic carriers,
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today dubbed this Decade Old Regulation as “a Pain in the Neck”.
Under the ‘5/20’ regulation, domestic airlines in operation for at least five years and with a fleet of minimum 20 planes are allowed to fly on international routes.
The minister’s stance comes at a time when the Ministry is reviewing the 5/20 norm and is discussing the issue with various stakeholders.
“I, for one, would like to get rid of it. Unfortunately it was a Cabinet decision taken by a government… The reasoning in that file and Cabinet note are rather funny. I think it has to go.
“It is an outdated thing. It is like a dinosaur and dinosaurs are heavier. When you wear it in the neck, it is a pain in the neck,” Raju said.
He was responding to a query about 5/20 norm during a ‘Tourism Investors Meet’
By bringing in changes in the more than decade-old rule, the government seeks to address the imbalance between domestic and foreign carriers.
At present, budget carrier GoAir, which had started operations in November 2005 is the only domestic carrier among the old players that is not eligible for overseas operations, as it does not have 20 planes.
New airlines Vistara and AirAsia India are also not eligible for operating international flights from India as they do not meet the 5/20 norm.
File Photo

Indian Govt ,In a U-turn, Denies 2nd Airport In National Capital

[New Delhi] In a U-turn,”Govt Denies 2nd Airport In National Capital
Union Minister Mahesh Sharma on Tuesday said the government has not cleared any proposal to set up a second airport in the national capital, less than a month after saying that Civil Aviation Ministry has approved a second airport in the national capital region.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Dr Sharma — Minister of State for Civil Aviation — responded in the negative to a query on whether the government has cleared a proposal for setting up a second airport in the national capital.
To another question on whether it is a fact that the Ministry has taken a decision, in the last month of June, for development of Jewar airport in Noida, he said “no”.
On June 26, Sharma had said the Ministry has cleared a proposal for a second airport in the national capital region to ease the burden on the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Sharma’s remarks on Tuesday comes against the backdrop of reports saying that senior Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju was not happy for not being consulted before making announcement about the second airport in the national capital region.
There have not been clarity about the matter especially after Raju refused to confirm such a move.
Reminded about Sharma’s announcement that the proposal has been cleared by the Ministry and would soon be taken to the Cabinet, Raju had only said, “Please ask Mr Sharma…
The government has granted ‘in principle’ approval to 13 new airports, including four in south-Indian state Karnataka, three in west-Indian state Maharashtra and one in north-Indian state Uttar Pradesh.
“The construction work of the proposed airport at Kushinagar has not started as the development of the airport through public private partnership could not be realised by the government of Uttar Pradesh,” Sharma said in another written reply.

Civil Aviation New Policy Is Aired To Shine Junked Wings Of National Carrier

[New Delhi] NDA Govt ,To Shine Junked Wings Of National Carrier,brought in a fresh draft recommending listing of state-run Airports Authority of India & chopper firm Pawan Hans on stock exchanges
“It is a step towards making civil aviation a vibrant sector in our country, to rise to its full potential”, said Civil Aviation Minister, Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati while releasing the Draft Civil Aviation Policy on 10th November . The new Civil Aviation Policy is expected to be in place by January 2015, he added.
The Draft has been released for consultation with public and stakeholders within three weeks, after which six to seven groups of experts would be constituted to interact with stakeholders and review the inputs received during the process. The Minister Claimed , “it aims to develop a transparent policy in which regulations for the Civil Aviation sector would be more meaningful.”
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Shri V. Somasundaran highlighted the salient features of the Draft Civil Aviation Policy in terms of better services and conveniences to flyers.
The Draft notes that “airports are to be designed as integrated multi-modal hubs, so that they provide the best possible service levels as well as potential for growth. An integrated multi-modal hub should include rail, metro, bus and truck connectivity as well as accommodation and other services”, he added.
While developing airports, it is equally essential to ensure that related sectors such as access to manufacture, business, tourism and pilgrim centres are developed.
The six metropolitan airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad would be developed as major international hubs and would in future be the main access points for international travel to and from
The functioning of Ministry of Civil Aviation and the offices under the Ministry will be digitized to improve efficiency and transparency. The service and clearances to be given by different agencies will be made online. Electronic procurement systems will be strengthened to ensure transparency and accountability.
The Draft Civil Aviation Policy is also available on the website of the Ministry of Civil Aviation
The release ceremony was attended by key officials including Shri Rohit Nandan, Chairman & Managing Director, Air India, Dr. Prabhat Kumar, DGCA and Shri S. Raheja, Chairman, Airports Authority of India (AAI).