Cutting across party lines, members of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Civil Aviation on Wednesday came out strongly against foreign aircraft manufacturers for "making a political issue" out of Air-India's decision to acquire 50 Boeing aircraft of different makes.
The MPs "deplored" the controversy created by the European consortium Airbus Industrie over Air-India's decision saying, "making political issue out of a purchase (decision) is not correct", an official spokesperson said after the meeting, which was attended among others by members from Congress and Left parties.
The members, however, appreciated the decision to acquire more aircraft to strengthen the public carriers, saying it was high time these airlines got new and additional fleet.
They expressed serious concern over the problems arising out of shortage of pilots, including poaching by some new carriers, and recommended urgent steps to remove this shortage.
Expressing concern over the rising price of aviation turbine fuel, the MPs said this was eating into the profitability of the airlines, particularly the national carriers, the spokesperson said.
The members of the Consultative Committee also pointed towards the increasing congestion over Delhi and Mumbai airports and expressed concern over the burning of precious jet fuel because aircraft take longer than usual to land.
The MPs were informed that the Netaji Subhash Bose International Airport at Kolkata was being "upgraded on a priority basis", the spokesperson said.
They were also informed that the tendering and other process would require two to three months, after which the construction work would begin.
Among the other issues discussed at the meeting were review of security at airports, comprehensive infrastructure for ground handling for the next decade, steps to prevent helicopter crashes, reduction of expenses of domestic air travel to boost domestic tourism and airport modernisation.
The meeting, chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, was attended among others by Sachin Pilot, Madhu Gowd Yakshi, Tarit Baran Topdar, Sarla Maheshwari, N K Premachandran, Vijay Mallya, Santosh Bagrodia and Vayalar Ravi.