Patel's decongestion plan has few takers

For harried passengers flying peak hours from metros, no respite from delayed flights and landings is in sight.

The civil aviation ministry's move this week to reduce growing congestion at metro airports by introducing differential navigation and landing charges has come a cropper, with domestic carriers deciding not to shift their flights to non-peak hours.

The ministry had hinted that it would double navigation and landing charges for peak hours (7 am to 10 am and 6 pm to 10 pm) and reduce it by half for non-peak hours in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore to reduce congestion.

As many as 40 per cent of all flights at these airports land or take off in peak hours. Domestic airlines operate 40 to 45 per cent of their flights in peak hours.

Air Deccan, the second largest carrier with 25 per cent of its flights in peak hours, says the government move will only raise tariffs and discourage travellers.

Says Air Deccan Managing Director Capt G R Gopinath: "Instead of increasing the number of flights which can take off from the metros (24 in one hour compared with over 100 in Singapore) by strengthening the air traffic control system, the government is merely increasing its revenue. You use disincentives only when the airport infrastructure has been fully utilised."

He adds that there is no question of more flights being shifted to non-peak timings. For one, this would require an increase in pilots (who fly after midnight).

For another, airports like Patna's are closed well before midnight. The under-utilisation is reflected in the fact that the 45 airports in India together handle as many flights as Changhi in Singapore handles every day (1,200 flights).

Budget carrier Spice Jet, which has over 65 per cent of its flights in non-peak hours, says it does not plan to shift its peak hour flights to non-peak slots.

A senior executive of the carrier said, "There might be some marginal flights now in peak hours that could be shifted or withdrawn when new schedules come, but I don't think this will reduce congestion."

The view is shared by full service airlines. Kingfisher Airlines executives also say there is no question of shifting flights to non-peak hours as the airline caters to business and corporate travellers who travel in such hours.

Airlines also say that the impact of the differential tariffing will not be substantial enough to make people change their travel preferences, which could push airlines to move flights to non-peak hours.

"Navigation and landing charges constitute 4-5 per cent of costs. So, the impact of peak hour traffic rates being doubled and non-peak tariffs halved will be minimal. For a budget carrier, it would not be more than Rs 100, while for a full-scale airline it could go up to Rs 300-400," says an airline executive.