March 17, 2020
Kalyan Banerjee speaks on The Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Madam, I will first say that this Amendment Bill will really strengthen the main statute. A good number of provisions have been made in this Bill to strengthen the hands of the Central Government and I feel that this Bill is very much essentially required.
Today, the number of aircraft is increasing day by day. Some companies have collapsed, but that is a different thing. So many aircraft are flying. The object of this Bill is to make better provisions for the control of manufacturing, operating, sharing, and importing and exporting of aircraft. Everything is covered.
Madam, through you, I request the hon’ble minister to more stringent provisions for the employees and staff of the aircraft companies. Nowadays, they are behaving like unruly horses. The moment the passengers are entering an aircraft, these pilots and crew are behaving like kings or queens.
Their behavior with the passengers is not good at all. They do not know how to behave and even breach their own rules. If anybody points these out, then they are threatened. It has become the practice of particularly one aircraft company, which I do not want to name; the minister knows about that company. I have told him personally.
Therefore, I will rather request you to formulate some stringent provisions. You see, guidelines do not have any statutory force. Rather, make stringent provisions in the Act itself regarding how these persons should behave. My point is that the passengers should not be humiliated by any of the employees of the aircraft companies.
I have also seen that a particular company misbehaves with specifically Members of Parliament. They try to create an atmosphere as if MPs are misbehaving with them. And media reports suggest that the MPs have committed something wrong. Naturally, in the last few months we have seen reports of three or four MPs harassing airlines. The issue is under investigation, so I do not want to comment on it.
I am happy to see that there is an enhancement of the punishment: “for an increase up to one crore” substituted with “one crore”. It is necessary for anyone committing an offence or misbehaving with people. In future, in your own wisdom, you may bring some more laws which will be of help.
I will be ending with this. We are totally against the privatisation of Air India. Why is Air India being privatised?
- In 2012, area restructuring plan for Air India was framed.
- In April 2012, the Government signed a 10-year restructuring plan with Air India International (AI).
- By April 2012, when the Government finally signed a turnaround plan for AI, the annual operational loss of the airline had increased to around Rs 5,000 crore and its accumulated debt had increased to nearly Rs 3,500 crore.
- It was then operating on a capital base of Rs 3,345 crore (FY 12).
Repeated statements by the Ministers-in-Charge in Parliament, over the years, have testified that the Government is largely satisfied, that is, AI (Air India International) is working as per the turnaround plan.
Therefore is Air India a loss-making company?
I’m just giving some figures – Operational parameters of Air India
- In 2011-12, operational profit was Rs -4,901 crore (that is, loss of Rs 4,901 crore) and passenger load factor was 67.9%.
- In 2012-13, operational profit was Rs -3,806 crore (that is, loss of Rs 3,806 crore) and passenger load factor was 72.4%.
- In 2013-14, operational profit was Rs -3,978 crore (that is, loss of Rs 3,978 crore) and passenger load factor was 73.3%.
- In 2014-15, operational profit was Rs -2,636 crore (that is, loss of Rs 2,636 crore) and passenger load factor was 73.7%.
- In 2015-16, operational profit was Rs 105 crore and passenger load was 75.6%
- In 2016-17, operational profit was Rs 1,086 crore and passenger load was 76.4%.
With this background in mind, when Air India is making profit, why should it be privatised?
Yesterday there was a discussion regarding employment. How will employment go up Now, the Air India employees are employees of a government company; this gives them security of life. And Air India is also the pride of the nation.
Every nation has their own national airline. Till now, Air India, in comparison with the other airlines, is doing well. The crew and captains are much better-behaved when compared with those from private airlines. Also, if you disinvest and turn it into a private company, the employees’ job security will go. I know the disinvestment plan has been postponed and therefore, the time for the same to happen has been extended. Hence, I would request again to reconsider it. Stop the disinvestment of Air India.
Air India has been in existence since the time when there were two airlines. At that time, they were the only companies. A number of private companies have come and gone. The private airlines only think about their profits, nothing more than that. But Air India thinks about the people of the country and not only about itself. It serves the people. The Government has sovereign duties and is not motivated by profits like private organisations. It is the job and responsibility of the Government.
The dream which had been sown by Mr Sinha can be fulfilled only if Air India does not become a private organisation.
Thank you, Madam.
