(a) whether the Government has decided to disinvest Air India;
(b) whether the number of passengers has increased substantially during the last several years;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has taken specific steps to improve passenger amenities in view of the increasing number of air passengers;
(e) if so, the details thereof; and
(f) the steps being taken by the Government to improve air travel to Bundelkhand?
The Minister of State (IC) in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION
(Shri Hardeep Singh Puri)
(a): Yes, Sir. The Government is committed to the disinvestment of Air India.;
;
(b) and (c): Details of the domestic growth passengers as submitted by the airlines as a part of monthly submission of traffic data is as follows:;
;
Year Passengers Carried Passenger Growth(%);
in Lakhs
2016 998.88 -;
2017 1171.76 17.3;
2018 1389.76 18.6;
2019 (till May) 586.54 2.6;;
;
(d) and (e): To reduce inconvenience to the passengers, this Ministry has released the Charter of passengers rights on 27.02.2019. The Charter is applicable on all scheduled/non-scheduled domestic operators and foreign carriers operating to/from India. In the Charter, passengers have been given rights which, inter-alia, include rights in case of flight delays, flight cancellations, boarding denied due to over booking, cancellation charges, facilities for disabled passengers, lost/delayed/ damaged baggage.;
Apart from the above, Airports Authority of India (AAI) is regularly upgrading and modernizing its airports, including passenger amenities. To reduce the check-in time of increasing number of passengers at the airports, Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE), Common User Self Service (CUSS) Kiosk and Scanners have been provided at all major 40 AAI airports. Further, free wi-fi facility has been provided at 53 airports.;
(f): With the repeal of Air Corporation Act in March 1994, the Indian domestic aviation has been totally deregulated. Airlines are free to induct capacity with any aircraft type, free to select whatever markets and network they wish to service and operate. In this regard, Government has laid down Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) with a view to achieve better transport services taking into account the need for air transport services of different regions of the Country. It is, however, up to the airlines to provide air services to specific places depending upon the traffic demand and commercial viability. As such, the airlines are free to operate anywhere in the Country subject to compliance of RDG issues by Government.
;
However, Government has launched Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) to facilitate/stimulate regional air connectivity by making it affordable. RCS-UDAN is market driven mechanism. Development of regional air connectivity routes is left to market forces and airlines undertake assessment of demand and nature of supply required on particular routes and lead the process under RCS.;