UDAN scheme -- Nullifying the Government's concession scheme.
UDAN SCHEME – HOW AIR LINES ARE DEFEATING THE GOVERNMENT’S CONCESSIONAL SCHEME.
Under the UDAN scheme – ude desh ka aam nagrik - , the fare for air travel of less than one hour duration, cannot exceed Rs.2500/-. However, airlines have a very simple method to defeat this rule. They simply decide and time-table the flying time to be, a few minutes more than one hour. Take the example of flight from Kolkata to Agartala and back. The airfare on this route is mostly upwards of Rs.4500/- It is a compulsion to travel using flights on this route and I have always found the flights full, and therefore the route is definitely very profitable for the airlines. The flying distance is less than 400 kms. At normal airplane speed, this distance should be covered in about 30 minutes. The aircraft, also infact always, covers the distance in 30 to 35 minutes. Only, the time table shows flying time of an hour and five minutes, which puts the flight outside the ambit of UDAAN scheme. Even Air India, our government carrier, resorts to this practice. Is the government not aware of this trick by Air India (and therefore also duplicated by others) of defeating its own scheme ? Are the DGCA or IATA unaware of this trick ?
My suggestion is to delink the flying time and instead only link the straight line flying distance between airports, for the purpose of deciding applicability of subsidized UDAAN fares. This will plug the loop hole, which appears to be very suspect. more
Under the UDAN scheme – ude desh ka aam nagrik - , the fare for air travel of less than one hour duration, cannot exceed Rs.2500/-. However, airlines have a very simple method to defeat this rule. They simply decide and time-table the flying time to be, a few minutes more than one hour. Take the example of flight from Kolkata to Agartala and back. The airfare on this route is mostly upwards of Rs.4500/- It is a compulsion to travel using flights on this route and I have always found the flights full, and therefore the route is definitely very profitable for the airlines. The flying distance is less than 400 kms. At normal airplane speed, this distance should be covered in about 30 minutes. The aircraft, also infact always, covers the distance in 30 to 35 minutes. Only, the time table shows flying time of an hour and five minutes, which puts the flight outside the ambit of UDAAN scheme. Even Air India, our government carrier, resorts to this practice. Is the government not aware of this trick by Air India (and therefore also duplicated by others) of defeating its own scheme ? Are the DGCA or IATA unaware of this trick ?
My suggestion is to delink the flying time and instead only link the straight line flying distance between airports, for the purpose of deciding applicability of subsidized UDAAN fares. This will plug the loop hole, which appears to be very suspect. more
Viewed by 1953
View all 22 comments Below 22 comments
Airlines such as Indigo can resort to any level of unfair practices to loot customers. That is their main earning unfortunately. more
Feb 03
Indians know to apply jugad technology to make govt fool and make profit. On every law we find flaws on it and make excuse on it. Our law makers need to be more aggressive and able to stitch all wholes before it spread. more
Jan 29
Loop holes are exploited with wholehearted connivance of the authorities. The authorities while Interpreting any law will not err in favour of the common man but will do so in favor of business people with open arms.. more
Jan 29
Sir, there is mo jugad here. The law makers have deliberately given a loop hole in terms of flying time. Shall we believe that this loop hole is a simple oversight by the law makers ? more
Jan 29
Good to highlight these points about Udan scheme. It should be brought to the approprite authority to take action , against over charging by the airlines and to make the scheme to fail. There is no point in complaining about Prime minister or politicians.Everything is started with good intention which ever may be the government , but the Implimenting authrority make it fail always. Our citizen forum is to raise our voice pointing out all these things. more
Jan 29
It is a fact and purpose is to defeat the very purpose of UDAAN guidelines. As such it is better to delink the flying time and instead link the straight line flying distance between airports. However, a nominal time for take off and landing also has to be provided. more
Jan 29
Either by design or default the govt always comes out to be babe in the woods when it comes to compliance of rules by business entities. Even on a simple prepaid booth a distance of 11 km is 13.5 km or a parking ticket of ten rs will be sold for twenty rs, and so on. Big companies are not passing on GST benefits to the consumers. Businesses work on the assumption that rules are for fools and any unethical practice with or without the connivance of the concerned govt deptt staff till it gets them profits is the new normal. Unless there are consumer forums/public bodies outside the influence of govt to monitor them; it is unlikely that businesses will voluntarily comply with rules. Governance deficit will occur when govt is busier with animals than citizens. more
Jan 28
