Gujarat Govt Issues show-cause notice to Delhi Firm for Pilot Fiasco

Ahmedabad : In a stunning turn of events, the Gujarat Civil Aviation Department has issued a show-cause notice to Delhi-based Pinnacle Air Pvt. Ltd., accusing them of failing to provide pilots for VVIP flights, including those carrying Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Governor Acharya Devvrat. This comes amidst a string of controversies surrounding the state’s aviation infrastructure and management.

“This blatant disregard for time, protocol, and the safety of our highest officials is unacceptable,” said a senior government officer of the Civil Aviation Department. “Pinnacle Air has failed to provide pilots on six to seven occasions in just a month, leaving VVIP choppers grounded and causing immense inconvenience.”

The notice comes close on the heels of Captain Ajay Chauhan’s removal as Director of Civil Aviation and CEO of Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Ltd (GUJSAIL) in December 2023. Chauhan, who held these posts for over a decade, faces charges of large-scale corruption and a government-mandated recovery of Rs. 3 crore.

Adding fuel to the fire, IAS officer Nitin Sangwan, who briefly held the post of Director of Civil Aviation after Chauhan’s suspension, is also under scrutiny. Sangwan, the current Director of Fisheries, is accused of awarding a Rs. 27 lakh tender to Pinnacle Air, bypassing GUJSAIL and inflating the cost by a staggering Rs. 12 lakh.

“This reeks of impropriety and raises serious questions about due process,” remarked a senior government official. “Handing over a crucial responsibility like VVIP pilot services to an inexperienced firm like Pinnacle Air, especially at a premium price, smacks of favoritism and mismanagement.”

The recent controversies have cast a shadow over GUJSAIL, the state’s nodal agency for government helicopters. Last year, the Chief Minister suspended Chauhan after revelations of exorbitant spending on maintenance and repairs for the agency’s fleet. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is currently investigating the matter.

With the show-cause notice to Pinnacle Air and the ongoing investigation into GUJSAIL, the Gujarat government is sending a strong message of zero tolerance for corruption and inefficiency in its aviation sector.

As one insider put it, “The skies above Gujarat are no longer business as usual. The government is determined to ensure the safety and dignity of VVIPs while ensuring transparency and accountability in its aviation operations.”