The Modi government has been celebrating its two-year achievements at a breathless pace. But the sound and fury over two years of glorious achievements has been missing from at least one ministry. Hoardings put up at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, which houses the Ministry of Civil aviation, speak eloquently of double digit traffic growth, fall in jet fuel prices etc.
But minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju did not hold any press meet to speak about his Ministry’s work over the last two years. He merely spoke to state-owned Doordarshan and one national daily, telling both that significant progress had been made in the sector and the much-awaited civil aviation policy was on its way. The only problem is the policy has not even been sent to the Union Cabinet yet for discussion and approval despite months of discussions. Some of the key provisions have divided the industry right down the middle and there are again murmurs of at least one important recommendation stalling the policy, one more time.
The civil aviation sector has seen unprecedented growth without much effort from the government itself. Domestic passenger traffic grew 21% in FY16, the highest in the world. Average seat occupancy of 83% means on an average, eight out of ten seats on an aircraft were paid for. Most Indian carriers reported higher profits or smaller losses in FY16, with some reporting record profits.
Much of this can be attributed to benign jet fuel prices and some of it happened because of cost cutting by airlines themselves. There seems to be little the ministry has done to bring about this stupendous growth.
01/06/16 Sindhu Bhattacharya/First Post
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But minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju did not hold any press meet to speak about his Ministry’s work over the last two years. He merely spoke to state-owned Doordarshan and one national daily, telling both that significant progress had been made in the sector and the much-awaited civil aviation policy was on its way. The only problem is the policy has not even been sent to the Union Cabinet yet for discussion and approval despite months of discussions. Some of the key provisions have divided the industry right down the middle and there are again murmurs of at least one important recommendation stalling the policy, one more time.
The civil aviation sector has seen unprecedented growth without much effort from the government itself. Domestic passenger traffic grew 21% in FY16, the highest in the world. Average seat occupancy of 83% means on an average, eight out of ten seats on an aircraft were paid for. Most Indian carriers reported higher profits or smaller losses in FY16, with some reporting record profits.
Much of this can be attributed to benign jet fuel prices and some of it happened because of cost cutting by airlines themselves. There seems to be little the ministry has done to bring about this stupendous growth.
01/06/16 Sindhu Bhattacharya/First Post
