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No passenger service from Pondy airport yet

Staff Reporter

Government and airport officials are clueless on when flights will commence

PONDICHERRY: The passenger service from Pondicherry airport is yet to commence even more than a month after the inaugural flight.

After inking a pact with the Pondicherry Government in February, the North based Jagson Airlines launched its operations on June 14 with an inaugural flight to Tirupathi, one of three destinations agreed upon. The other destinations are Chennai and Bangalore.

The Chief Secretary C.S. Khairwal and other top officials had told the media on the inaugural day that the service provider had agreed to commence passenger service in two weeks time. Till date, the Government and the airport officials here are clueless on the date of commencement of services.

"We are yet to get a communication from Jagson," told K Sendilvel, Manager, Air Traffic Management, Pondicherry Airport, The Hindu . In fact, five days after the inaugural flight the 18-seater Dornier aircraft positioned at the airport was taken back by Jagson and yet to be re-based.

Information available with this newspaper reveals that Jagson is yet to get some of the statutory clearance from the apex organisations in the Civil Aviation sector before commencing the operation.

This includes landing rights and facility for refuelling from the concerned airports, which it was supposed to fly.

No clear indication

When contacted over the phone, Koustav, vice president, marketing, confirmed that it is yet to get clearance from Bangalore airport. "We are still pursing it," he added. However, he could not give a clear indication on the date of starting passenger services. Many in the Government feel that the deal was pushed through in a hurry and hence the flip-flop.

A top official and a close aide of Chief Minister N Rangasamy said, "The Government was forced to give its nod for the inaugural flight."

It is reliably learnt that the Chief Minister N. Rangasamy has expressed his displeasure in rushing the deal, especially on the particular close in the MoU that the Government would pay for every nine seats.

He agreed only when it was made clear that the seat guarantee would be on a trial basis.

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