The ministry invited fresh tenders to award the Rs 655-crore contract for operating Haj flights, after protests by other parties that the MoCA had overlooked its own tender specifications and accepted the bid documents submitted by SpiceJet and Saudi Arabian airlines, despite both these carriers not qualifying technically for the bidding process.
On April 24, the ministry of civil aviation had invited sealed quotations from airlines of India and Saudi Arabia for providing air travel services to pilgrims sponsored by Haj Committee. One of the requirements put up in the tender document was that the airlines bidding for the contract must have an NOC 'No Objection Certificate' from their regulator concerned to operate these flights. It meant, airlines in India had to get a NOC from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and those from Saudi Arabia needed one from General Authority of Civil Aviation.
"Spice Jet and Saudi Arabian Airlines did not have the NOC when they submitted their tender. Despite this, they were considered for the Haj contract along with other airlines," said advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, who followed the Haj tendering process and put up protest letters to various authorities as per a report in TOI.
Air India and NAS were the other two airlines that were awarded the contract and both these carriers met all the specifications listed in the tender, he added.
The contract was awarded by the Haj Air Travel Committee (HATC), which consists of two directors and one under secretary from the ministry of civil aviation, other than one representative each from the Haj Committee, DGCA, ministry of external affairs.
In a letter sent to Central Vigilance Commission, and other authorities, Siddiquee said, "By allegedly participating in such unfair bidding process, ministry of civil aviation has unwarrantably indulged in unfair trade practices by favoring airlines which could not have qualified at all, for the bid".
Following protests, the ministry of civil aviation issued a 'tender cancellation notice' on July 16 and called for fresh bids.
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