The SC on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on controversial Jet-Etihad deal on a petition filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. Notices were also issued to Jet Airways and UAE’s Etihad Airways. The SC has sought responses within 4 weeks.
Seeking a stay on the Government’s nod for the “dubious” bilateral agreement between India and UAE for providing additional 36,000 seats per week to Etihad Airlines, Swamy argued that the Etihad’s share acquisition in Jet Airways was “nothing but quid pro quo.” He said this deal would collapse Air India.
The Bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam took note of Swamy’s argument that no response came from the Prime Minister on the issue though he made several representations before him for the past five months. Swamy submitted that the deal was against public interest as it squanders natural resource — the sky and air space.
He claimed that the deal was cleared against the advice of the Parliament Select Committee and other advisory bodies. Even the CAG had found that there has been reckless allocation of air space to foreign airlines, he said.