Private airlines to meet Praful Patel today

New Delhi: Representatives of private airlines will meet the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Monday.
The request for meeting the Minister was made by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), informed sources said.
The airlines had put on hold their decision to go on a day’s strike on August 18 in view of agitated public sentiments and also the government’s offer to hold dialogue to resolve the problems faced by the civil aviation sector, which is also reeling under the impact of global economic downturn.
Leading airlines such as Jet Airways and Kingfisher were pressing ahead with the decision to suspend their domestic flights for a day but fissures appeared in the FIA with IndiGo and SpiceJet favouring the process of dialogue.
Air India decided to mount additional flights if the airlines suspended their service.
Private carriers were protesting against the high rate of sales tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and steep airport charges that were making their operations financially unviable and inflicting losses on them.
10/08/09 Vinay Kumar/The Hindu

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Aug 2009