The Epilogue

We are right in the throes of turning back the clock in Indian Civil Aviation. 

Air India is being sold to private bidders as the policy makers are of the firm opinion that running an Airline is not a Government's business. It was in the year 1953 that many small airlines were merged into two quasi government public sector entities - Indian Airlines Corporation catering the domestic routes and Air India International operating to foreign destinations. 

In the year 2007 both these companies amalgamated into one national carrier Air India Limited. Ever since the fortunes of the company declined to a point of no return and the Government desperately wanted to jettison the Airline to private hands to save tax payer's money. 

On the Airline Industry in India one is reminded of this famous quotation of Charles Dickens, the famous English novelist from his "A Tale of Two Cities" : 

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way” 

To put things in perspective elsewhere in the world "Deregulation" of the Airline Industry was first carried out in the United States of America between the years 1978 to 1986. Essentially this meant opening the skies for all Airlines to operate without any restrictions. 

Alfred E. Kahn is widely viewed as the father of Airline Deregulation in the United States. He said in an interview that "Instability is the price we pay for competition". Kahn authored a seminal book "Lessons from Deregulation Telecommunications and Airlines after the Crunch" in which he chronicled the history of Airline Deregulation in the U.S.A, from its inception and aftermath. 

We intend to chronicle the history of Civil Aviation in India between 1953 and now. This is the best time to look at history and fit the events in a larger map. Perhaps we can then learn the trends and the future trajectory of the Civil Aviation in India. 

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