BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has written to civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu asking him to recommend the cabinet to merge Jet Airways (India) Ltd, which has currently grounded its operations due to lack of funds, with Air India, a step which according to the politician will help the national carrier regain its “premiere position”.
“The ministry of civil aviation should strongly recommend to the Cabinet that Jet Airways should be merged with Air India not only to ensure that air services are not restricted but also to enable Air India to recover its former premier position,” Swamy said in the letter, adding that any other solution to Jet Airways will likely raise speculations about corruption at high places and may invite litigation.
Dated 24 April, and addressed to the civil aviation minister, Swamy’s letter also said that there is a serious effort going on by private airlines like SpiceJet and Vistara to benefit from the dismemberment of Jet Airway.
“This is being supported by some of your colleagues and officers whom I can name in a private meeting with you,” Swamy said in the letter.
A copy of the letter has been reviewed by Mint. Swamy had earlier on Thursday said on a tweeter post that he urged the prime minister to tell the finance minister Arun Jaitley and minister of state for aviation Jayant Sinha to prevent giving Jet Airways assets like slots to SpiceJet.
“I urge Namo (Narendra Modi) to tell Jaitely (Arun Jaitley) and Jayant Sinha to lay off trying to parcel off Jet Airways to SpiceJet. It smells of favouritism and misuse of official position that will damage BJP’s reputation,” Swamy had tweeted.
Jet Airways, which was until recently India’s second-largest airline, suspended flights last week, under the weight of high debt and a severe cash crunch.
Meanwhile, domestic carriers have been temporarily awarded slots of Jet Airways at busy airports of New Delhi and Mumbai to pump up capacity which have been eroded due to grounding of Jet Airways fleet.
Source: Mint