12-31-2005, 07:43 PM
<b>.The decision of the Government is a move in the right direction. However, to make it really useful it will be first necessary to construct some basic infrastructure and train the airport personnel how to handle foreign airlines. Sometime back a foreign airlines which was operating through this airport as a technical stopover, was alleged to have been asked to pay a bribe by the weatherman so that clearance for the flight could be given. The amount per flight was not very high only Rs.500 per stopover. On refusal to pay the bribe, despite clear weather one flight was not allowed to land for 45 minutes, putting considerable cost tom the airlines by way of fuel burnt unnecessarily. The airlines in question, did not press the charges and the Government of India promptly agreed to shift the airlines technical stopover to another airport. Unless such incidence are probed and weatherman brought to book nothing much should be expected of the Government pronouncements.</b>