New Delhi: Castigating the Civil Aviation Ministry for effecting a huge hike in bilateral air traffic rights with Abu Dhabi, a parliamentary committee today asked it to freeze them at the old level saying prima facie this move "appears to facilitate one airline" to strike a deal with a foreign carrier.
Expressing surprise at the increase of weekly seats under the bilaterals from 13,330 to 36,670, the panel said "prima facie this move appears to facilitate one airline to strike a deal with a foreign airline for its stake sale at a huge premium," hinting at the recent deal between Jet Airways and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways but not naming them.
It said this could be "a backhanded way of obtaining access to the huge civil aviation market in India" and national carrier Air India would be disadvantaged.
Maintaining that no airline has the right to sell slots, it recommended that the Ministry takes away the three slots sold by Jet Airways to Etihad at London Heathrow airport and penalise the Indian carrier "for selling national property."
03/05/13 Economic Times
