"Airlines Brought To Failure During UPA Rule": Scindia Schools Shashi Tharoor Over "Sorry State Of Aviation Sector" Remark

Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor engaged in a war of words on X over flight delays due to fog in the last few days.

Tharoor made a series of allegations and called these delays a "Modi Government-made disaster" and "a result of the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s neglect and incompetence."

Scindia responded by highlighting that runway maintenance was taken on top priority to be completed by 15 December, before the onset of the fog season, however, was delayed because of restrictions imposed due to Delhi pollution.

On the allegation of a crane blocking operation of CAT III-B on one runway, Scindia said that this crane was used for the construction of Dwarka expressway but will now be allowed only on non-fog days and the said runway has been operational since yesterday.

Responding to the allegation of not having "sufficiently trained pilots", Scindia shared data that showed "a jump of 2.5 times in the last nine years" and a growth of "16 per cent in the last three months alone."

On Tharoor's claims of "the sorry state of India’s aviation sector", Scindia said, "Airlines that shut shop/were brought to failure during the UPA rule = Kingfisher, Jet Airways, Air India."

He highlighted that during the NDA government rule, five new regional airlines, along with Akasa, have taken birth under the PM’s UDAN vision and fleet size has increased from 400 in 2014 to 730 today, and will reach 1,500-2,000 by 2030.

"Airports have doubled from 74 in the last 65 years to 149 today. This will reach 220 in the next three-four years," Scindia said asserting that SOPs for better communication to passengers were also issued.