Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill Debate: Opposition Raises Query Over Rising Airfare

Opposition MPs on Thursday raised concerns over rising airfare and questioned why the government is unable to control it, as the Lok Sabha debated the Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024.

During the discussion on the Bill which seeks to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act, Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said the Bill would address the current discrepancies in the aviation law and help the industry grow.

Participating in the debate, TMC MP Saugata Roy said the Bill is "unnecessary" asserting that there is nothing new in it.

Roy questioned why the ministry does not have a control on airfares.

"The Bill is unnecessary, it has not introduced anything new. We do not want mortality of airlines, give us an airport policy. New airlines are not for employing pilots but they are for being profitable institutions...," he said.

Roy questioned that what is the point of having an aviation ministry if there cannot be any control on airfares.

"Unless you have any control on airfares, what is the point of having an aviation ministry. As it is after Air India is gone, the glamour has gone," he said.

The Dum Dum MP said a particular business group has got control of airlines while another group has got control over airports.

The Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 31, is intended to "regulate various aspects of the aviation industry, including the design, manufacture, maintenance, operation, and sale of aircraft".

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran said the Aircraft Act is being renamed in Hindi or Sanskrit, and said Civil Aviation Minister Naidu, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, should have named the Bill in Telugu.

"This Act is being renamed in Hindi or Sanskrit... You are from Telugu speaking state Andhra Pradesh, you should have fought with the BJP and named the Bill in Telugu. We would have all welcomed it," Maran said.

He said the Bill talks about setting standards of manufacturing, but one wonders in which part of India are aircraft being manufactured.

"We are able to send Indian made rockets, but don't have capacity to manufacture airplanes," he said.

He also raised concerns over the airfares, and said, "We thought the government which has been there for last 10 years will reduce the airfare. Yes, today airfare is equal to train fare, Vande Bharat... Vande Bharat train charges have increased so much..."

Referring to the takeover of Air India by Tata, he said, 'Till Air India was with the government of India, no discount was given for maintenance or repair.' "Tata is getting the benefits Air India should have got. If it was given earlier it would have given profits," he said.

Congress MP from Amethi Kishori Lal Sharma mentioned the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi and Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University, and raised concerns over allocations made for these institutions.

"There should be a provision that before new training centres are created, existing ones should get grants," he said.

Congress MP Adoor Prakash said the aviation sector is facing many challenges, including near collisions, flight delays, and cancellations, which are a matter of concern.

He also raised concerns about the Bill being more focused on benefiting industrialists than addressing the needs of the common man and noted that a business group which owns eight airports, has become the single largest private entity handling airports, leading to a monopoly in recent years.

He also rued the soaring airfares, especially for flights to Gulf countries, and said it is a burden on low-earning workers, particularly those from Kerala. "Most are low-earning workers in Kerala who can't afford the fare. I request intervention to review the tariff hike."

BJP member Rajiv Pratap Rudy, however, praised the government's efforts, and called the legislation a 'historic decision'.

He emphasized the importance of aligning India's laws with global standards, particularly in aircraft leasing, which, he said, would benefit the industry.

Rudy also called for improvements in aviation infrastructure, particularly in regions like Bihar, where he argued there is a need for new airports.

"We need a new airport in Bihar," he insisted.

Earlier, Aviation Minister Naidu underscored the need for the new legislation, noting that the Aircraft Act, 1934 has become outdated due to its numerous amendments over the years.

Naidu explained that the 1934 Act had undergone 21 amendments, resulting in ambiguities and contradictions, particularly regarding the powers and functions of internal organizations like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

He pointed out that these issues have created confusion within the aviation sector, making it difficult for the relevant authorities to operate effectively.

"Because of this, the whole structuring of the Act itself has led to a lot of ambiguity and contradictions in terms of powers and functions of certain internal organizations," he said.