In a series of Twitter exchanges, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia responded to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s criticism of the government’s preparedness to handle flight delays during fog conditions at Delhi Airport. Tharoor had raised concerns about passengers facing long delays and eating meals on the tarmac amid severe cold wave conditions in north India.
Tharoor’s critique pointed to media reports highlighting the chaotic situation at Delhi Airport, where flights were delayed or canceled, causing inconvenience to passengers. He questioned the government’s failure to upgrade the CAT III-B runway to CAT III-C, allowing flights to land even at zero visibility. Tharoor also alleged insufficient training for pilots to land on CAT III-B runways.
In response, Scindia dismissed Tharoor as an “arm-chair critic” and shared a series of tweets presenting what he called “actual facts.” He emphasized that the maintenance work on one of the CAT III-B runways at Delhi Airport was a priority and aimed to be completed by December 15 before the onset of fog season. However, pollution incidents and the enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP-IV) in Delhi led to a delay of one month in the commissioning of the runway.
Scindia clarified that the revamped runway was set to become operational during the week, addressing Tharoor’s concerns about the delays. Regarding a crane obstructing CAT III-B operation on one runway, Scindia explained that it was being used for the construction of the Dwarka Expressway. He mentioned that despite repairs being complete, the crane continued to block the operation, and Delhi Airport had flagged this issue over 10 days ago.
The minister defended the government’s actions and priorities in addressing the challenges faced by Delhi Airport, particularly during the fog season. He highlighted the completion of runway maintenance and explained the reasons behind the delay, citing pollution incidents and the enforcement of GRAP-IV.
In a final retort, Scindia pointed out the positive developments in the aviation sector under the NDA government, mentioning the birth of five new regional airlines under the Prime Minister’s UDAN vision. This was in response to Tharoor’s assertion that market concentration in the aviation industry, with 90% controlled by two groups, fosters high prices and poor customer service.
The Twitter exchange reflects the ongoing debate between political figures over the efficiency of measures taken to address flight delays and ensure passenger comfort during adverse weather conditions at Delhi Airport.
