MDLR pulls out, Pvt airlines' strike call losing steam ?

New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) With the Indian government
cracking the whip, private airlines' strike call on August 18
appeared to be losing steam Sunday with budget carrier
Spicejet saying it was reconsidering its position while MDLR
Airlines announced it would operate that day.

Spicejet sources said it was taking bookings for
August 18, the day when the Federation of Indian Airlines
(FIA) has given a call for suspending flight operations to
protest high taxes on jet fuel and airport charges.

Regional player MDLR Airlines, which operates three
aircraft to six destinations, has already written to FIA
secretary general Anil Baijal that it would not join the stir.

Another budget carrier Indigo announced Saturday it was
pulling out of the strike leaving only major players Jet
Airways and Kingfisher to be in the strike mode on August 18.

State-owned Air India, which is a FIA member but has
decided not to be part of the protest, meanwhile, said it was
gearing up to operate additional flights on August 18 to avoid
possible inconvenience to passengers. State-owned Directorate
General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has warned of appropriate
action to protect passengers' interest.

Full business class Paramount Airways has already
announced they were walking out of the strike. Barring MDLR,
all others are members of the FIA.

Spicejet CEO Sanjay Aggarwal said he was optimistic that
the talks with the government would lead to a resolution of
the problems. However, there was no official word whether
Spicejet would take the course of Indigo Airlines by
withdrawing from the strike call.

MDLR Airlines COO and ED Koustav M Dhar told FIA in
the letter that his airline would operate all flights on
August 18, saying the strike was no solution to the intending
problems of the Civil Aviation sector.

"We strongly believe that causing inconvenience to
passengers by a strike is no solution to the impending
problems of the Indian civil aviation (Industry) and the same
should be discussed maturely with all airline representatives
together with Minister of Civil Aviation," Dhar said.

MDLR would remain neutral to the issue between the
industry and the government as it was never invited by the FIA
to be a part of the association, Dhar said adding his airline
would address the ministry separately in its own capacity.

Indigo had last night decided to walk out of the
agitation, saying all airlines should engage in dialogue with
the Civil Aviation Ministry to get the matters resolved.

Paramount sources said it would not join the call for
suspending its operations on the day of the strike.

Air India also announced that it would operate additional
flights on August 18 in case private airline operators go
ahead with their strike call.

"In addition to normal daily carriage of passengers on our
scheduled flights, we will be able to accommodate about 25,000
additional passengers on scheduled and specially operated
flights," an Air India spokesperson told PTI in Mumbai.

Special flights with large capacity aircraft like B 747 and
Boeing 777 on high density routes are planned "so that load of
small flights can be accommodated on a single flight",he said.

Following the FIA call for strike on August 18 demanding
an immediate bailout, the government threatened the airlines
with punitive action with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel
warning the airlines to take "appropriate action" for causing
inconvenience to passengers. PTI ARC
dep
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