Mumbai: The monthly data published by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on the number of passengers affected by flight delays only shows the tip of the iceberg. The data, which is compiled after all domestic carriers submit monthly statistics, does not include the national carrier Air India (AI).
"In December, a record 1.5 lakh flyers were affected by delays of over two hours. The figure dropped to 63,000 in January. This did not include passengers who flew AI. This means the number of flyers who were actually affected was much more considering that AI has the most vast network," a DGCA official said. "AI flights would be similarly affected by fog and runway repair condition, and thereby affecting more numbers of flyers too,'' the official added.
In the absence of AI's figures, the data only gives a partial picture considering that AI has a vast network.
"By not submitting the data, AI is also not showing the compensation it has/hasn't given to its flyers,'' said another DGCA official based in Delhi.
In January, AI flew 7.79 lakh passengers, less than only Kingfisher and Indigo. "Some of these flyers would have faced delays. The number for January would have been higher had AI's figures been included," said a ministry official.
07/03/11 Chinmayi Shalya/Times of India
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