Praising national carrier Air India for having rendered historic service to the nation, civil aviation minister Vayalar Ravi said on Friday that he was open to the idea of appointing a third party, like a former judge, to go into grievances of wage disparities that the airline’s unions have.
On Friday morning, while addressing a function to mark the centenary celebrations of civil aviation in India, Mr Ravi said, “One of the biggest challenges before us is to lend renewed vibrancy to public sector undertakings like Air India and Airports Authority of India. These two organisations have rendered historic service to the nation and their continued vibrancy is critical for optimal growth of the sector. The government is committed to support these organisations to ensure their healthy future.”
Later, speaking on the sidelines of the function, he said that “a third party can be appointed (to resolve grievances relating to wage disparities in the national carrier).” He also ruled out any disinvestment in the national carrier.
The function was organised to mark 100 years since the first civil aviation flight in India. On February 18, 1911, a French pilot flew a small aircraft from Allahabad to Naini carrying 6,500 mails. Incidentally, one of the mails was a letter written by Motilal Nehru to his son Jawaharlal Nehru who later became Independent India’s first Prime Minister.
“Today, we are remembering Late Rajiv Gandhi who rose to become the Prime Minister of India from being a pilot and who laid the foundation of some outstanding aviation related institutions like Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy and Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited,” the civil aviation minister said in his address. “I would also like to acknowledge Late JRD Tata who is generally considered to be the father of Indian civil aviation,” he added.
In fact, as part of the programmes to celebrate the aviation centenary, the civil aviation ministry will also felicitate women associated with the aviation sector on the occasion of International Women’s Day next month. President Pratibha Patil — who had flown earlier in an IAF Sukhoi fighter aircraft — could attend that function. The first women pilots in the country will also be felicitated on that occasion. Some of the eminent women pilots were felicitated at Friday’s function too.
But the civil aviation minister also spoke about the security threats facing the aviation sector. “While we are celebrating our continuous growth it is also necessary to be eternally cautious of the threats to our security from various quarters. We have to remember the tragedies of Kanishka and IC-814 to remain constantly vigilant of the dangers that lurk round the corner. Maintaining security is the priority that cannot be overlooked even for a single moment,” Mr Ravi said.
Pointing out that India is expected to acquire 1,000 more planes and about 500 helicopters in the next decade, Mr Ravi expressed confidence that the civil aviation sector would create new employment opportunities for nearly 26 lakh Indians by 2025. “From the days of the first flight when aircraft landed on plain grounds without any navigational aids, we have travelled a long distance to modern and world-class airports of Hyderabad, Cochin, Bangalore and of course T-3 (at New Delhi IGI airport),” the civil aviation minister said.
On the occasion, the contributions of eminent personalities who had contributed to the civil aviation sector in India the past 100 years was remembered. Several persons were felicitated on the occasion.