Jet Airways did not approach us during crisis: Civil aviation secretary

The government would not want the crisis-hit Jet Airways to face difficulties and is watchful of the developments that happen within the airways, Civil Aviation Secretary, R.N. Choubey said at an The Associated Chambers of Commerce an Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) event held in New Delhi on Friday (10).

“Jet has not approached us as yet, they are not bound to inform us but in the face of any difficulties they normally approach us. There are a couple of things which we are doing and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will also be looking at,” said Choubey while inaugurating an ASSOCHAM International Conference on Civil Aviation and Cargo.

“We are not planning to do any financial audit from government side, we will just be watching the developments in Jet,” he added.

According to an ASSOCHAM release, Choubey informed that India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation along with International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) would celebrate in September 50 months of continuous, uninterrupted, highest double digit growth in the world. “It is not easy to have achieved that, it is not easy to have achieved the kind of connectivity connecting small towns and cities which has been done.”

He also said that his ministry was aware of the challenges being faced by the sector and there was need to reduce costs both at the airports and as far as aviation turbine fuel (ATF) was concerned.

Choubey said “Our ministry is working on that, our ministry is working on creating airport infrastructure, creating an overall ecosystem where this growth rate is sustained, where we make sure that we prove to be the locomotive as far as global civil aviation is concerned.”

ASSOCHAM in the release added, the minister blamed the policy paralysis during the previous government regime for there was virtually no growth between 2012-13 and the beginning of 2014. “There was no capacity at all and part of that was because of Kingfisher going out of the system, so we had 2-3 years virtually of no growth.”

He also asked the industry to keep finding faults with Civil Aviation Ministry’s working for them to improve further and serve in a better way. “You have given us your direct and straight feedback and told us what is working and what is not that we have been able to address these issues, so please keep bringing us our defects, keep telling us what is wrong with us.”