The National Aviation Discussion: Flight Delays Ignite Political Clash

In a recent turn of events, the simmering issue of recurring flight delays has not just irked regular passengers but has also reached political discussions. Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Minister of Aviation, has publicly criticized Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for highlighting the regular flight delays and associated mishaps occurring across Indian airports. News comes from the source of Reader Wall.

Calling Out an “Arm-Chair Critic”

Scindia has questioned Tharoor’s role as an “arm-chair critic,” alleging that posting articles falls short of legitimate research. He emphatically asserted that such a technical sector like aviation requires a far deeper level of understanding than what is exhibited by Congress.

Scindia stated, “It is for someone who is lost in his esoteric world of thesaurus that data mining of selective press articles from the internet qualifies as ‘research’. Here are some actual facts for arm-chair critic Shashi Tharoor and the Cong IT Cell that might help tackle their lack of depth in understanding technical sectors like civil aviation.”

The Issue of Flight Delays

In the wake of dense fog covering North India and crowding at Mumbai’s airport, flight delays are indeed a rising issue in India. Not only is the common public flustered but even members of the Bollywood industry and other social media users have voiced their dissatisfaction about lackluster treatment by airline personnel. One instance even reported a flyer physically assaulting a pilot for announcing a delay in the flight.

Tharoor Raises Concerns

Addressing the situation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, questioned the government’s preparedness for such unforeseen circumstances. He pointed out the significant delays of up to 12 hours and rising passenger dissatisfaction, indicating a distressing state of affairs of India’s Aviation sector.

Scindia’s Rebuttal

In response to Tharoor, Scindia systematically debunked the points and went on to detail the measures in place to ensure fluid operations. He acknowledged the incident where passengers were forced to eat their meals on the tarmac and declared it as unacceptable.

“The treatment meted out to the passengers in the instant case was unacceptable, and we have acted immediately in the form of a show cause notice to the concerned operators. Further, SOPs for better communication to passengers were also issued. The progress is being monitored constantly,” he said.

Taking a firm stand, Scindia asserted, “Corrective action is underway as we speak. Rest assured that any failure in this regard will meet with stern measures.”

Scindia’s Action Plan

In an effort to fight against these frequent disruptions caused by fog, Scindia has revealed a six-step action plan. The strategy includes setting up ‘War rooms’ at airports and with airline operators at six metro airports to deal swiftly with any passenger-related issues. He further mentioned that sufficient CISF manpower would be provided for round-the-clock security at airports.

Further, he announced the activation of Runway 29L at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as CAT III operational, allowing take-offs and departures even during low visibility caused by dense fog.