Airliners-India.com

747-237

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/213054/iaf-draws-flak-using-32.html

IAF draws flak for using AN-32 for VIP duties

Dec 19

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reprimanded the defence ministry and IAF for modifying the AN-32 aircraft in VIP configuration and flying them for eight years even though there were no government sanctions for modification and the IAF was short of AN-32 platforms.

The IAF argument of temporary fitments of VIP seats and the use of these aircrafts to carry the chiefs and senior officers for morale boosting of troops did not cut ice with the powerful House panel, which felt that the “modification was irregular and unjustified and more so when it was done despite non-approval of the government and IAF did not have adequate number of serviceable aircraft.”

The Air Headquarters had modified six AN-32 during 2001-03 for VIP use. Prior to that two similar aircraft were modified between 1992 and 1999 for similar purposes.

The modifications were carried out despite availability of two Boeing aircrafts, four executive jets, seven Avros and six helicopters with the IAF Communications Squadron – which is in charge of VIP flights.

In its report tabled in both Houses of the Parliament, Murli Manohar Joshi-led PAC said that from 1999 to 2006, the modified AN-32 fleet was used to fly for 2270 hours to ferry defence ministers, service chiefs and other designated officials even though there was a shortfall of about 50 per cent for its mandated tasks.
_________________
11000 posts (and counting) on Airliners-India.

Aseem · Member Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 2841 Location: YYZ

Generals should travel in same planes as Jawans travel. Period.
_________________
[url=http://openflights.org/user/aseemsjohri]

[/url]

rutvij · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 12:11 pm Post subject:

HAWK21M · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2011 12:55 pm Post subject: