Airlines' fight over maintenance may ground sky marshals

Mumbai: In 2001, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) asked all airlines to have sky marshals on board. All these years, Air India has been bearing the expenses of the sky marshals and the other airlines are in turn supposed to reimburse Air India for the expenses.
Air India has been the single point contact for the NSG, which provides sky marshals, for better co-ordination.
The National Aviation Company of India Ltd (Nacil), which operates Air India, has threatened to pull out of the arrangements, unless private airlines comply with their part of the agreement and pay up their dues.
Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines are believed to have the largest amounts due by virtue of operating more number of flights than other private airlines.
Earlier, Nacil complained to the home ministry about private airlines not paying their dues, as decided earlier, to it. The home ministry then asked the civil aviation ministry to sort out the matter.
In a meeting convened by the civil aviation ministry, all airlines agreed to pay the amount due to Air India.
However, Air India is yet to receive the dues from some of the airlines.
13/05/10 Sneha Kupekar/Business Standard

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General May 2010, NACIL May 2010, Safety May 2010