New Delhi: In a controversial decision, government has asked private airlines to give special privileges like lounge access and faster security clearance to MPs, sparking a furore with some politicians denouncing it for not being in sync with the times.
According to a reply to a Parliament question in August last year, a 2007 protocol is "to be followed by all concerned, including private airports and airlines".
Following numerous complaints by MPs that private airlines was not adhering to the protocol, the Civil Aviation Ministry has been reminding the carriers to extend the courtesies.
As criticism mounted over such privileges, the ministry on Wednesday went into a damage control exercise, saying no fresh directive has been issued to airlines to provide special privileges to MPs.
The protocol provides instructions to be followed by all airlines and airport operators in case of MPs and Ministers.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said no "fresh guidelines" have been issued in this regard but hastened to add, "There may have been a circular in 2007...I am not aware what exactly it says".
"You are saying fresh guidelines have been issued. No such guidelines have been issued," he said.
"No guidelines have been issued to private airlines for extending any protocol to Ministers and MPs," new DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar told PTI, maintaining that it has not given any instruction to private airlines to extend any such facility to MPs.
29/01/14 PTI/ZeeNews
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According to a reply to a Parliament question in August last year, a 2007 protocol is "to be followed by all concerned, including private airports and airlines".
Following numerous complaints by MPs that private airlines was not adhering to the protocol, the Civil Aviation Ministry has been reminding the carriers to extend the courtesies.
As criticism mounted over such privileges, the ministry on Wednesday went into a damage control exercise, saying no fresh directive has been issued to airlines to provide special privileges to MPs.
The protocol provides instructions to be followed by all airlines and airport operators in case of MPs and Ministers.
Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said no "fresh guidelines" have been issued in this regard but hastened to add, "There may have been a circular in 2007...I am not aware what exactly it says".
"You are saying fresh guidelines have been issued. No such guidelines have been issued," he said.
"No guidelines have been issued to private airlines for extending any protocol to Ministers and MPs," new DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar told PTI, maintaining that it has not given any instruction to private airlines to extend any such facility to MPs.
29/01/14 PTI/ZeeNews
