Holes in proposal to ferry ministers, bureaucrats by air

Small Plane Air Network will benefit only one firm

In a move that could end up benefiting only one company, the director of the Jakkur Government Flying Training School (GFTS) has submitted to the Youth and Sports Services Department a proposal ostensibly to ferry ministers and senior Karnataka government bureaucrats by air within the State.

Named SPAN – Small Plane Air Network – the “mission” is proposed to be achieved under the public private partnership (PPP) model and, according to the “concept paper” submitted to the department, while “the infrastructure will belong to the government (including airplanes and staff), the services to utilise that infrastructure will be provided by a private partner.”

But what raises eyebrows is that SPAN expects to tap into the Rs 10-crore “challenge fund” which the State government had established two years ago for the implementation of innovative ideas and projects so as to ensure delivery of state services to the people.

Although a concept paper, the objective appears to be to favour Agni Aero Sports Adventure Academy (AASAA). The justification for introducing the proposal is that since ministers’ and bureaucrats’ travel by rail or road within the State is time-consuming and not cost-effective, “the use of small aircraft maybe more appropriate as they operate from small airstrips.” Some of the small airstrips identified in the concept paper are in Mysore, Hubli, Mangalore, Koppal, Bidar (which belongs to the Indian Air Force), Harihar, Hassan, Chikmagalur and Raichur.

What is alarming is that at a meeting with other Jakkur private operators last Monday, the GFTS Director Naveen Raj Singh, mooted that a cross-airstrip would be constructed over the existing one, a step that might endanger other flights, especially those originating from Yelahanka airfield. Constructing a cross-airfield would require the permission of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

And with a flyover coming up on the airport road next to Jakkur airfield, flights will have to land at a higher gradient that would reduce the length an aircraft landing on the existing airstrip would get before it comes to a halt.

According to the concept paper, the obligations for the proposed project are stacked heavily against the State government. 

For instance, the government “shall obtain all approvals from various authorities to make the GFTS facility operational”; the government “shall provide AASAA full access to its GFTS facility to check and satisfy itself the operability of the aircraft, hangar and all support equipment, records and approval statuses for the purpose of SPAN operations”; the government shall undertake repair, retrofit and construction required with the technical consultation of AASAA; and the government “shall lease or procure additional aircraft for the SPAN operation now and in the future.”

Besides, the concept paper says, “whether a flight takes place or not, this cost (to be borne by the government) will not come down.”

While AASAA claims to have “expertise” in manufacturing light aircraft, it is reliably learnt that the permission given by the DGCA to the company expired on December 31, 2009, and that except for a Cessna-180 aircraft, it has no DGCA approval for maintenance of aircraft. AASAA claims it is an ISO 2001:2008 approved company, but it does not have DGCA approval for training of aircraft maintenance personnel.

When contacted, Youth and Sports Services Principal Secretary I R Perumal said: “It is at a preliminary stage. The proposal will be examined throughly before it is being placed in the governing council headed by the chief minister. At least three tenders are required before any final decision is taken.”