Airline industry goes private but ‘VIP culture’ seems set to stay
Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com
New Delhi:12.10.2021
India has moved on to an era of private airlines (except for Alliance Air, which will also be sold off soon) and an increasing number of airports under the private-public partnership model, but ‘VIP culture’ seems set to remain firmly in place.
A letter from the Union aviation ministry on September 21 (before Air India was taken over by the Tatas) asked all airlines, airport operators and the aviation security regulator to ensure compliance with the “protocol/courtesy/ support to members of Parliament at airports”. Pointing out that these instructions had been issued from time to time, it said “some issues of negligence... have come to the notice of this ministry”. It requested “all concerned... to comply with the same in letter and spirit”.
While the letter listed the protocol that Air India had to follow and did not specifically name private airlines, the directive is applicable to them too. Among other things, the protocol said the duty manager, senior staff should facilitate MPs in completion of check-in formalities, make efforts to reserve seats in the front row for them; airport operators should provide MPs access to reserved lounges along with free tea, coffee or water.
TWIST IN THE TAIL
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