Patel to take airline woes to Cabinet

NEW DELHI: Minister of civil aviation Praful Patel is expected to take up the issues plaguing the loss-making aviation industry in the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Top airline owners on Monday met Mr Patel to voice their concerns about high taxes on jet fuel and airport charges that could result in the industry suffering losses worth Rs 57,000 crore this year.

���We are satisfied with the minister���s assurance that he will take up our issues on an urgent basis. The ministry is sympathetic towards the problems of the industry and said he would help take up the issues with the government,��� Kingfisher Airlines CMD Vijay Mallya said after meeting the minister.

The meeting was attended by Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal, SpiceJet CEO Sanjay Agarwal, IndiGo chairman Rahul Bhatia and president Aditya Ghosh, GoAir MD Jeh Wadia, Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav and Federation of Indian Airlines secretary-general Anil Baijal. Civil Aviation secretary MM Nambiar was also present.




Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav said the industry made a detailed presentation, pointing out the concerns of the airlines, and one of the key issue discussed was the aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices.

The meeting comes after private aviation players put on hold their earlier plans to suspend operations on August 18, following agitated public sentiment and the government���s willingness to enter into a dialogue.