Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia has responded to criticism from Congress MP Shashi Tharoor regarding the recent chaos at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport. Scindia dismissed Tharoor’s claims, stating that the MP is lost in his esoteric world of thesaurus. Tharoor had labeled the airport situation as a ModiGovt-made disaster and accused the Ministry of Civil Aviation of negligence and incompetence. In his response, Scindia provided detailed insights into runway maintenance, pilot training, and passenger rights, refuting Tharoor’s allegations.
Scindia explained that the delay in runway maintenance, which affected passenger safety, was due to pollution incidents and the enforcement of GRAP-IV in Delhi. He emphasized that this maintenance work is crucial for aviation operations and highlighted that it would only take place on non-foggy days. Scindia also addressed Tharoor’s claims about trained pilots, pointing out a significant increase in CAT-II/CAT-III trained pilots over the years. He stated that there are now 6191 such pilots compared to only 2416 in 2014.
Regarding the enforcement of passenger rights, Scindia defended amendments made by the DGCA to civil aviation requirements (CARs) during the UPA rule and highlighted fines imposed on airlines for not adhering to guidelines since 2022. He countered Tharoor’s criticisms by stating that the DGCA penalizes operators if they are found guilty of mistreating passengers.
Scindia acknowledged the unacceptable treatment of passengers during the recent chaos at the IGI airport and assured that show cause notices have been issued and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for better communication to passengers have been implemented. He emphasized that corrective action is underway and any laxity in this regard will not be tolerated.
In his response, Scindia also highlighted the achievements of the NDA government in the aviation sector, including the birth of five new regional airlines under the Prime Minister’s UDAN vision and the increase in fleet size and airports.
On Monday, Delhi experienced heavy fog, resulting in low visibility and disrupted flight movements at the IGI airport. Over 600 flights, including domestic and international ones, were affected by the foggy conditions.
The response from Scindia sheds light on the challenges faced by the aviation sector and provides insights into the measures being taken to address them. The Minister emphasizes the importance of safety, training, and passenger rights, while addressing Tharoor’s criticisms. The situation at Delhi airport serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in managing flight operations during adverse weather conditions.
