Dear Editor,
I have read with great interest the article titled Recovering from a stall on the current state of the Indian civil aviation industry published in the June 2012 issue of India Business Law Journal. I must compliment Rebecca Abraham for the clear analysis and for highlighting the major problems afflicting the industry in India.
From Rebecca Abraham’s analysis it is quite clear that the lack of a clear national aviation policy, ambitious planning, absurd tax policies and an overreach by the airlines that entered the market ever since the liberalization of the industry in the early 1990s, are principally responsible for the present sorry state of the industry in India.
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However, I believe that the airlines of India are themselves equally responsible for driving civil aviation to its present critical situation. Their attempts to fight for market share, whatever the cost, and introduce fare regimes which frequently do not cover costs have played an equally important part in creating serious problems.
A country as large as India needs a civil aviation industry that functions smoothly. One can only hope that better sense will prevail and that the government and aviation players will redraw their plans and enable a viable industry to emerge in the next few years.
Saroj Datta
Aviation Consultant,
Mumbai
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