Aviation regulator DGCA on Thursday directed an enquiry into three flights, including one carrying West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, reporting low fuel at the same time, as Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) and other Opposition parties raised the issue in both the Houses of Parliament, alleging conspiracy and threat to her life.
Responding on the issue, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said in the lok Sabha that flights hovered around for 13 minutes and not 30 minutes as alleged and affirmed that none of these three flights sought priority landing, despite being asked by the ATC. Almost similar statement was made by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha in the Rajya Sabha.
The TMC backed by the Congress raised the issue in Parliament alleging that Mamata’s flight was made to hover over Kolkata airport on Wednesday evening for about half-an-hour despite the pilot reporting that the plane was low on fuel.
Alleging a threat to the life of Mamata, who is at the forefront of anti-demonetisation campaign, TMC leader in the lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay said the Government should rise to the occasion and find out whether there was a conspiracy.
Supporting the TMC demand, leader of Congress in the lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said Mamata has been travelling to various parts of the country protesting against Government’s move to ban Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes causing hardships to common people.
In the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien (TMC) raised the issue no sooner had the House assembled for the day, saying Banerjee was flying from Patna to Kolkata on an IndiGo flight which normally takes an hour to reach.
He said about 200 km from Kolkata, the ATC informed that the flight was the 8th in landing sequence but the pilot relayed a message that it was low on fuel and should be allowed to give priority landing.
Despite the warning, the flight was made to hover over the Kolkata airport for at least 15 minutes and by some count 30 minutes, he said, adding besides Mamata, there were 100 other passengers on the flight whose life was put to danger.
leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad maintained that it was a very serious issue as any plane flying on low fuel should be given top priority in landing and sought a probe into the incident.
Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) said the incident has created doubts in minds of people and an enquiry must be ordered and its report tabled in the Parliament. Mayawati (BSP) said the Government should rise above party politics and order an inquiry, while Sharad Yadav (JD-U) also termed the incident as serious and sought a probe.
The Government denied any design saying just when West Bengal Chief Minister’s Patna-Kolkata Indigo flight reported low on fuel, two other flights of Air India and SpiceJet also called in with the same problem.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered an enquiry to find out how three flights at the same time could fly low on fuel into Kolkata when the norms mandate them to carry enough fuel to enable hovering for 30-40 minutes as well as to carry it to the nearest diversion airport, which in this case was Bhubaneshwar, they said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said in the lok Sabha, the DGCA report will be tabled in the House. eom