Babus to travel by Indian carriers only?

New Delhi: The choice of government employees flying abroad on official trips may soon be restricted to Indian carriers. Currently they can choose any airline, Indian or foreign, but given the extremely precarious financial condition of desi airlines the aviation ministry is pushing for this change in official travel rules for babus.
But government babus need not worry. They will not be forced to travel by Air India as the ministry is asking for Indian carriers that includes Jet and Kingfisher also. ‘‘There’s no reason why our officials should not travel by Indian carriers on sectors served by them and opt for other foreign airlines. The connecting flights to places not served by our airlines can be on any foreign carrier or the alliance partners of our desi ones,’’ said the official.
Indian carriers have long been asking for some protection against the ‘predatory pricing’ done by foreign carriers. But the government has always maintained that they can’t control such pricing as trying to curb these fares would be hugely unpopular because the common traveller benefits from them. Restricting babus’ travel to Indian carriers, however, is being seen as a halfway move that will ensure better loads for Indian carriers and not affect the general traveller.
The choice for government officials, if this rule goes through, could get wider as the aviation ministry is pushing for relaxing of norms for Indian carriers to fly abroad.
This is the second move in less than a year that could affect babus’ foreign jaunts. Last year, the government had made it mandatory for government officials earning miles on air trips to use them only for other official flights.
29/01/09 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2009, NACIL Jan 2009