 New Delhi: The Finance Ministry on July 13 has made it compulsory for all government officials to fly by Air India while travelling on work, on both domestic and international sectors.
If the government officials are visiting a place not connected by AI, they will now have to fly to the point closest to the destination that’s served by Air India. From there, they can take any other airline, but preferably one that has a tie-up with AI.
Again, in case of lack of connectivity or seat unavailability, the official has to fly some other airline the person is required to take clearance from the aviation ministry. The ministry had asked for this rule change for government officials three months back to help the cash-strapped AI.
The finance ministry’s official memorandum, which also applies to autonomous bodies, funded by the government, said, “In all cases of air travel, both domestic and international, where the government of India bears the cost of air passage, the officials concerned may travel only by Air India.”
The government has overturned its own decision taken about three years ago by announcing this new decision. The new directive may not have hurt government travellers, had AI been able to join Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline tie-up, as per schedule last year.
A senior AI official said, “This project, also a vital part of merger, has been put on fast track. Meanwhile, we are increasing our code share agreements with other airlines.”
|
