SC asks Centre to apprise it in 2 days on flights to Shimla

The Supreme Court today expressed its anguish that the Centre did not stand by its promise to give a categorical answer on starting air services to Shimla and some northeastern states saying it will pass an order fixing accountability.
The apex court directed that the Centre should apprise it about the issue in two days.
"Tell us in two days whether you will comply with the policy or not or we will pass an appropriate order fixing the accountability," a bench comprising Chief Justice T S Thakur and justices R Banumathi and U U Lalit said while posting the matter for Friday.

The bench said the Centre and its agencies are supposed to enforce the obligation of providing 10 per cent of (the capacity deployed on) Category-I service (trunk routes) to Category-II routes.
Under the government's Route Dispersal Guidelines, Category-I routes are the busy routes connecting major metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, while Category-II are those in remote and difficult parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, northeast states and the island territories.
"Where there is risk, we will not ask you to do it. You come out with some concrete solutions on the issue and also examine how do the airline satisfy the 10 per cent criteria," the bench said.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General P S Patwalia, appearing for the Civil Aviation Ministry and DGCA, said that Centre is inclined to start the service and he will talk to the minister, officials concerned in the ministry and try to come out with a solution by evolving a consensus.

To this the bench asked the ASG how Delhi-Srinagar route was different from Delhi-Patna, Delhi-Hyderabad or Delhi- Kolkata.
ASG Patwalia replied that earlier no operator wished to fly to difficult areas but now things have changed.
ASG Patwalia further said that it has been found by DGCA that ATR-72 was not feasible and is dangerous for Jubbarhatti airport and the air plane has never landed there since the airport was commissioned.

Earlier, on April 21, the apex court had asked the Centre to apprise it about the issue by May 4. It had said that it will not prevent the competent authorities from directing other airlines to fly to a particular destination.
It had further said that according to the Route Dispersal Guidelines, every commercial airline is required to deploy in the northeastern region, Jammu & Kashmir, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep (Category- II routes) at least 10 per cent of its deployed capacity on busy trunk routes (Category-I routes).
While ATR-42 turbo-prop planes generally have a capacity of carrying 35-42 passengers, it is between 60-75 for ATR-72s.

Centre had earlier informed the court that three ATR-42s are flying to Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshwadeep and to the Northeast and has it never shirked in its duty.