Airlines suffering due to govt failure to give incentives: BJP

With private airlines which have threatened to go on a one-day strike to protest against high fuel prices and airport charges, BJP today said the dismal situation was a result of the government's failure to provide incentives for the aviation industry.

With private airlines which have threatened to go on a one-day strike to protest against high fuel prices and airport charges, BJP on Friday said the dismal situation was a result of the government's failure to provide incentives for the aviation industry.

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"Undoubtedly, Air India is in a neck-deep financial crisis but the situation of private airlines is no better. The
failure of the government to provide incentives for the aviation industry is monumental," BJP spokesperson Rajiv
Pratap Rudy said.

The former Minister of State for Civil Aviation felt though no immediate solutions were in sight, the government
should have provided incentives to the ailing private airlines to bail them out of their financial troubles.

He also accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of being "ignorant and insensitive" towards the aviation industry.

"The Prime Minister has preferred to remain ignorant and insensitive to the core issues bothering the civil aviation
industry," he said.

The private carriers, under the banner of the Federation of Indian Airlines, have decided to suspend their domestic
services on August 18 to protest "high prices of jet fuel and airport charges".

International operations, however, would be normal.

The private airlines are suffering losses apparently due to falling air traffic, high Air Turbine Fuel prices and
recent hike in airport charges.