Congress MP from Kerala Shafi Parambil presented a resolution during private members’ business regarding exchange of air fares. During the discussion on this, Kerala RSP MP NK Premachandran mentioned the Standing Committee report on transport and demanded to regulate it. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also supported the resolution brought by the Congress MP and attacked the Congress fiercely.
Nishikant Dubey said that the party of which Shafi is a member and the party which NK Premachandran supports, should understand and tell the country who created this situation. They are asking the minister to change the law. He said who did the work of changing the law in 1994 which was made by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947? Today Air India was sold. Why was it sold? Nishikant Dubey further said that Air India was sold because it was the responsibility of the Government of India to go to small places even when passengers were not available. The problem came when you merged Air India and Indian Airlines.
Giving the example of telecom sector, he said that this is happening because the Government of India has not sold BSNL. Air India which was in profit, Chidambaram Saheb created such a situation due to which it had to be sold. The BJP MP said that after selling, what mechanism does the Government of India have by which it can regulate the air fares? He mentioned Aircraft Act 135B and said that when our government came to power in 2004, they abolished it also. The day you ended it, the Indian government had nothing left. Today the people of India are troubled due to the policies of Congress.
Airlines found opportunity in disaster- Nishikant
Nishikant Dubey said that when he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time, the demand for trains and rail lines was heard. When Modiji said that we will make even the slippers wala sit in the plane and started the Udaan scheme, today the demand for an airport is coming from all sides. He said that while discussing railways, we are talking about the airport, this is the development of the country. Nishikant Dubey said that airlines also found opportunity in the disaster. Airfares kept increasing after the Corona period.
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He said that there are three types of aspects in this – International, Domestic and Cargo. What laws apply to international airlines? How will we improve the bilateral agreements that the previous governments made? Secondly, what will we do with the people who have divided the slots in domestic and some airlines have gone bankrupt and thirdly, what will we do with the cargo.
We will have to think about how to strengthen Aira.
Nishikant Dubey said that the principle of dynamic fair which is there in the whole world and the era of 2008, which they (Congress) have created and went away. After ATF, AERA decides what parking charge and landing charge you will charge for major airports. He said that who will decide the tariff of the one who goes to the small airport. One mechanism is decided by the regulatory body and one mechanism is decided by the airport authority. Nishikant Dubey said that when people come in each other’s way, who will decide is a big question. The minister will have to think about how to strengthen AERA.
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He said that private airlines say that we decide the fare on competitive mechanism. Only one flight goes to our place. What competition is there? Nishikant Dubey said that Darbhanga Airport became a big name during the Corona period. The day the money from the UDAN scheme ends, the airline company runs away. He further said that by taking the name, SpiceJet is such a company, whose job is only to take money from the government in the UDAN scheme and then stop the flights. Why don’t the big companies operate their ships in small places? Why do you try to go only to profitable places?
These suggestions were given to regulate air fares
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that when we de-regulated the telecom company, Vajpayee ji created USOF. In which if you do not nurse the backward area then we will take penalty from you. All are part of it. He suggested that we develop such a mechanism that we will give you slots in 157 airports only if you go to some profitable places and you will also have to go on some backward routes. Nishikant Dubey said that a committee should be formed which should hold monthly meetings with DGCA, Ministry and all the stakeholders and see whether and how the airlines are determining the dynamic fare.
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He said that airlines increase the fare in the name of dynamic fare but 20 to 25 seats remain vacant. Congress MP from Amritsar, Punjab, Gurjit Singh said that railways and airports, all belonging to the public sector, were sold. At least regulate it. BJP MP Bhartrihari Mahtab suggested fixing the upper limit. At the same time, Sandhya Rai, who was present on the chair, said that I also have a suggestion. Once you look at the ticket the fare keeps increasing rapidly. When a committee is formed, we will look into this also.