New Delhi: The civil aviation ministry wants private airlines to offer special privileges to members of Parliament (MPs) and plans to issue guidelines on the subject after complaints by MPs.

State-run Air India Ltd has long been offering special privileges to travelling MPs but such courtesies may now have to be extended formally by private airlines, including Jet Airways (India) Ltd, IndiGo, SpiceJet Ltd and GoAir, according to documents reviewed by Mint.

The aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has sprung into action after complaints by MPs, but an analyst said the move went against the prevailing mood of MPs behaving like a common man in public life.

“The committee on violation of protocol norms and contemptuous behaviour of government officers with member(s) of Lok Sabha has raised the issue with MoCA (ministry of civil aviation) where airports and airlines are not adhering to the guidelines on protocol norms and courtesy to be extended to the members of Parliament," DGCA said in a letter on 3 January to all domestic airlines.

The letter attached the minutes of a meeting held on 16 December on “extending courtesy towards Members of Parliament" for “information and necessary action".

DGCA noted that while existing guidelines from 2007 mention only Air India, this would be changed soon.

“...The guidelines and instruction published by MoCA on the subject only contains the name of Air India, however other airlines are not included in the said letter. Chairman (Director General) advised the representative of MoCA to review the order on protocol norms and courtesy for the members of Parliament and include the names of other airlines companies including LCC," or low-cost carriers, it said.

A former Air India official said MPs want to be given advance notice of flight delays; and escorted from the airport entrance through the other processes, including priority check-in.

They also want to be given security and immigration clearances quickly and provided with lounge access besides complimentary refreshments, among other things. This official declined to be named as it was a sensitive matter related to lawmakers.

A ministry spokesperson didn’t offer any comment for the story.

The DGCA meeting, where some airlines and airport operators were also present, concluded that all airlines will provide the name of the nodal officer/protocol officer who will act as a single-point contact when an MP is travelling.

“Since M/S Go Air was the only airline in the meeting, chairman advised DDG (deputy director general Lalit Gupta) to coordinate with other airline companies and obtain the list of nodal/protocol officer from other airlines including LCC and provide it to MoCA," the letter said.

It was also decided that the aviation ministry will issue detailed guidelines for all the airlines to follow.

“When requested about the expectation of MPs from airport operators and airlines chairman briefed the forum that the subject may be examined by MoCA and guidelines may be circulated accordingly with the inclusion of list of nodal/protocol officers," the letter said.

There are nearly 790 members of Parliament currently.

The ex-Air India official quoted above said, “It was fine to give these facilities as they are respected members of Parliament. It’s very common, or else they might complain. Even private airlines fear that."

An official with a private airline, however, disagreed.

“In LCCs, there is nothing like VIP handling. These are all for full service airlines. It’s more complication, more cost. They should allow us to charge for all these services," said this official who declined to be named.

Former Air India executive Jitender Bhargava criticized the move saying, “The word used is ‘courtesy’ but it’s more like a command to the airlines."

“In case of government airlines it can pass muster because of government ownership which in a way is represented by Parliament. But how can it be extended to private carriers? Even a government airline should not be doing this any longer," he said.

At a time when the common man is publicly articulating his distaste for the “red beacon culture", these special privileges at airports for MPs should be ended, he said.

“This clearly indicates that the bureaucrats issuing such orders are not taking a cue from the current environment and the latest Supreme Court verdict prohibiting use of beacons, and instead trying to perpetuate and extend an old and outdated privileged practice. It is highly regrettable and unfortunate," Bhargava added.

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