Quick decisions

THE REPUBLIC of India was blackmailed by cold blooded murderers patronised by the establishments of neighbouring countries. The crisis revealed mistakes in reorganising our aviation set-up. When the former Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Karan Singh, became Minister of Civil Aviation in 1968, he wanted to have modern terminal buildings in our international airports, as the then existing structures were pre-war vintages. He established the International Airports Authority of India on April 1, 1972, with wide financial powers and discretionary authority.

Modern terminal buildings were constructed in Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi and Madras, which were a few years behind the terminals in the developed countries. The officers of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation formed the nucleus of the new autonomous corporation. The officers and staff on deputation made themselves comfortable with far higher salaries and perquisites unknown to the civil servants. The personnel of all the other airports, and all operational cadres of the DGCA became restive and yearned for the cosy comforts of the IAAI.

Air Traffic Control Officers had professional and social contacts with Rajiv Gandhi, then a pilot of the Indian Airlines. They appealed to him to take them out of the DGCA and form another corporation. When Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister, he directed his Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Jagdish Tytler to form the National Airports Authority. This was implemented subsequently during 1990. The NAA staff also spent the revenue on themselves and as it became non-viable it was merged with IAAI during the tenure of Mr. Narasimha Rao as Prime Minister.

Civil aviation is an exclusive Central subject, and the executive authority of the President is exercised by the Director-General of Civil Aviation. Civil Aviation is the second line of Defence and its operational cadres work in close coordination with the armed forces. The airspace over India is monitored by the radar of the area and approach control of the ATC cabin in coordination with the military liaison cell of the Indian Air Force located in all our international and major airports. This vital function of radar monitoring was taken out of the jurisdiction of the DGCA and given to a corporation namely the Airports Authority of India. The officers of the corporation do not have direct contact with the Government. The telecommunication system of the DGCA which was bequeathed by the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Air Force was relatively more modern than most other departments of the Government of India. The first information about the Afridi tribesmen let loose on Kashmir by Pakistan and their approach to the Mahora Power House near Srinagar in 1947 was relayed by the Royal Indian Air Force base in Srinagar to the Minister of Defence and the Air Headquarters through the area control morse operators at the Willington Airport, (now Safdarjung Airport) at New Delhi.

In August 1957, a flight plan message of the Pakistan Air Force Viking flight from Karachi to Dacca, then capital of East Pakistan, was received by the area control at the Safdarjung airport, New Delhi. The message also contained a request that President Ayub Khan (of Pakistan) wished to meet Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at Delhi en route to Dacca. The Air Traffic control officer on shift duty telephoned the Secretary-General of MEA for onward transmission and an early reply.

After about an hour, a reply was sent through the DGCA channels that Nehru would meet President Ayub Khan at the Palam airport, then under IAF administration. They met on September 1, the same day that Gen. Thimmaiya, Chief of Staff, submitted his resignation protesting against Krishna Menon's interference in the army promotions. Acharya Kripalani introduced an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha and demanded a reply from Krishna Menon, then Defence Minister. As Menon was silent, Kripalani said. ``Go to Airport Palam and meet Ayub Khan instead of wasting time here.''

As Mr. K.P.S. Gill remarked recently, an officer of the Government in operational cadres can take quick decisions, and the Government will support the officer even if there is an error of judgment made in good faith.

During the war declared by President Yahya Khan of Pakistan, in 1971, an aircraft of the U.S. Air Force filed a flight plan for immediate clearance to Dacca, from Bangkok. The Calcutta ATC asked the aircraft to land at Calcutta and then fly a PDR route on Calcutta VOR to Dacca. In less than an hour, a senior officer of the U.S. Consulate in Calcutta came to the Calcutta ATC with a navigation map, and challenged the officer and he could not regulate flights in international air space and that Bangkok- Dacca air route does not overlap the Indian air space. The ATC officer went to the adjacent MLC room and consulted the IAF officer. As per his advice, the flight was cleared with the remark, ``Sir it is a disturbed area, there is a war going on, we just advised you in your interest.''

When the U.S. Air Force aircraft was approaching south of our coast, the IAF fighters began buzzing the U.S. Air Force Aircraft without identifying themselves, the U.S. aircraft pilot shouted, ``Calcutta Control, I am on Fire''. The ATC officer replied. ``Has your engine caught fire? Are you able to maintain altitude? Switch off that engine. We have alerted the Navy, and have stationed our fire-fighting engines, ambulance etc.''

The U.S. Captain screamed. ``No, No, Hell of a lot of damned fighters. They are not replying to me. Whose are they?''

``No idea Captain. We will enquire and let you know.''

``I am returning back to Bangkok.''

``Clear for immediate return. Your flight level will be 130 and inform ETA to Bangkok and Dum Dum.''

These quick decisions were taken as the officers were armed with the authority of the Government of India.

The airport authority officers at Lucknow, Delhi and Amritsar, were probably telephoning their Director of Air Routes, who was waiting to get the Member (operations), who was trying to get the M/D, who in turn was trying to get the Secretary of the Ministry and so on. It was more than adequate time for the criminals in our Air Bus to intimidate the pilot and force him to land at Lahore.

By switching off the runway lights at Lahore, the Pakistan authorities are guilty of attempt at murder of over 200 people. After all it is for an alleged offence of similar type that the former Pakistan Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif is held prisoner and for which the penalty is death by hanging.The Government of India can now move the ICAO to immediately expel Pakistan from the membership which implies that Pakistan forfeits its right to fly passengers or cargo to other countries.

H. SUBBA RAO

Formerly of the Civil Aviation Department, Government of India

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