Question : CATEGORISATION OF AIR ROUTES BY INDIAN AIRLINES

(a) whether Indian Airlines have categorised the air routes;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any guidelines have been formulated in regard to route dispersal between Indian Airlines, Private operators and taxi operators;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether private operators and taxi operators are showing huge profits while Indian Airlines is incurring losses day by day;

(f) if so, the reasons therefor; (g) whether steps taken by the Government to increase the passenger carriage have shown any encouraging results; and (h) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

THE MINISTER OF CIVIL AVIATION
(SHRI SHARAD YADAV)

(a): No, Sir.

(b): Does not arise.

(c) and (d): There is no such separate guidelines for route dispersal between Indian Airlines, private airlines and air taxi operators. However, with a view to achieve better regulation of air transport services and taking into account the need for air transport services of different regions in the country, Route Dispersal Guidelines have been framed. These guidelines inter alia stipulate that all scheduled operators will deploy in the North-East, Jammu & Kashmir, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman & Nicobar Islands

(Category-II routes), at least 10% of their capacity deployed on Trunk Routes (Category-I routes), and 50% of the capacity provided on Category-I routes is to be deployed on routes other than Category-I and Category-II routes

(Category-III routes).

(e) and (f): While profit/loss of private airlines is not available, Indian Airlines have started making profits since 1997-98, after incurring losses from 1989-90 onwards.

(g) and (h): The number of passengers carried on the domestic sector has been showing an upward trend since 1997 and has increased from 116.43 lakhs in 1997 to 122.30 lakhs in 1999.