Permission to travel by Private Airlines on official Tour – Guidelines

GUIDELINES FOR SEEKING PERMISSION TO TRAVEL BY PRIVATE AIRLINES & PERMISSION CELL IN MOCA

• Permission Cell -e mail : [email protected]

• All requests to come by e mail in the Proforma (Annexure – A) .

• Those seeking relaxation to travel by airlines other than Air India are required to apply as per Proforma annexed as Annexure-A and may be e-mailed at the following official website of MOCA – permissioncell.mocagnic.in

• In case of any clarification pertaining to air travel by airlines other than Air India the following officers may be contacted :-

• The Cell is functioning under the control of Sh. G. Asok Kumar, JS(AI) in MoCA.

• Sectors on which General/blanket relaxation issued are at Annexure-I &  Annexure- II.

• Instructions to be followed while seeking relaxation from the Ministry of  Civil Aviation:-

• Those seeking relaxation on ground of Non-Availability of Seats(NAS) must enclose NAS Certificate/Endorsement from Al Office/Govt. authorized travel agents – M/s. Balmer Lawrie & Co., Ashok Travels & Tours and IRCTC (to the extent IRCTC is authorized as per DoP&T OM No. 31011/6/2002-Estt.(A) dated 2.12.2009)/a copy of the website of Al i.e. airindia.in
• Also flight Number with departure & arrival timings, which one wishes to avail, should be given.
• The request should be sent at least one week in advance from the date of travel.
• Those seeking ex-post fact approval on ground of NAS must enclose the documentary evidence as mentioned above and a copy of ticket purchased.
• For sectors which are not connected directly by any of the airlines, .as per Ministry of Finance Order, an employee must travel by Air India upto the nearest station. Relaxation will be granted for the remaining segment. Flight with stop-overs between two destinations is not to be treated as direct flight. Non-availability of direct flight is not the criteria for seeking relaxation.
• Ministry of Finance, Deptt. Of Expenditure vide ID No.19024/01/2009-E-IV dated 28th July, 2011, have clarified that since Govt. Officials have the option of revising their travel plans, relaxation to travel by airlines other than Air India while availing LTC will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. Therefore, non availability of Al flight/seats on a particular day/time would not be considered as a valid ground for seeking relaxation.
• Availability of lower fare is no criteria for seeking relaxation.
• Non-availability of seats in Executive Class would not entail grant of relaxation and the journey has to be performed in Economy Class.
• Those seeking relaxation on the ground of attending meeting at a particular time, must attach meeting notice and approved tour programme.
• For foreign travel cases, where full or partial grants are received, journey has to be performed on Air India upto the place upto which Air India is available and seek relaxation for the remaining sector. On international routes where Air India with its code- share foreign airlines partner, is available, the same must be utilised.
• In continuation of above point, relaxation will not be granted on account of late receipt of approval from Ministry of Civil Aviation/ receipt of grants approval from the funding agency /visa/transit visa/long journey hours etc. etc.
• For invitees from abroad, efforts should be made to book them on Air India and Air India code share flights to the extent possible.
• Adherence to the approved route list on international sectors must be observed.
• Cases involving fixed amount of reimbursement like sea passage fare, Ilnd class AC rail-fare etc., non-entitled officers. need not be referred to Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• For cases regarding Air India tickets purchased from unauthorised agents, relaxation requests duly forwarded by Deptt. Head, may be directly referred to Under Secretary, E-IV Section, Ministry of Finance, Deptt. of Expenditure, North Block, New Delhi.
• Non-receipt of approval by the stipulated date does not entitle one to claim relaxation as a matter of right.

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