The government of India pays for air travel, and the officials concerned may only travel by Air India. Air India has discontinued the provision of credit for the purchase of air tickets. Air India tickets may be purchased using cash.

F.No.A.26017/14/ 2020.Ad.11.A
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 12th November, 2021

To
All Principal Chief Commissioner of CGST & Central Excise,
All Chief Commissioner of CGST & Central Excise and Customs,
All Principal Chief Commissioner of Customs,
All Principal Director General CBIC/Director General.

Subject:- Proposal for seeking relaxation of guidelines on Air Travel on Tours/LTC are again circulated.

Sir/Madam,

Attention is invited towards Department of Expenditure O.M.No.19024/22/2017-E.IV dated 19th July 2017 and 27.02.2018 (copy enclosed) which provides that all cases of Air travel, both domestic and international, where the Government of India bears the cost of air passage, the officials concerned may travel only by Air India Flight. The said instructions as contained in the aforesaid O.M were reiterated to adhere to these instructions scrupulously vide Board’s letter of even number dated 01.06.2017, 31.08.2017, 21.02.2019 and 27.05.2020.

2 Despite the reiteration of the aforesaid instructions the Board has been receiving a number of references from the different Commissionerates/ Directorates, in a routine manner, seeking relaxation in guidelines in respect of travel by airlines other than Air India and also seeking relaxation of rules allowing the purchase of tickets from sources other than those specified in Department of Expenditure O.M.No.19024/1/2009-E.IV dated 16.09.2010. As per extant instructions, the relaxation in such case Is required to be obtained from the Department of Expenditure as the power to grant relaxation vests with the Department of Expenditure.

3, On examining one such proposal, the Department of Expenditure has advised this Department again to ensure strict compliance of extant air travel guidelines by all officials/officers under the administrative control of CBIC as henceforth relaxation on account of ignorance/unawareness about these guidelines would not be considered.

4. In order to avoid reoccurrence of such cases in future, it is once again required to bring the extant guidelines of Department of Expenditure on air travel, of all concerned, for strict compliance in view of observation made by Department of Expenditure, as indicated in para 3 above.

5. Further, the Department of Expenditure has issued O.M. No. 19024/01/2021-E.IV dated 27.10.2021 (copy enclosed). In all cases of air travel (both domestic and international) including LTC where the Government of India bears the cost of air passage, the officials concerned may travel only by Air India. Air India has stopped extending the credit facility on account of the purchase of air tickets. Air tickets from Air India may be purchased in cash till further instructions. Therefore, all concerned Commissionerates/ Directorates are requested to bring these instructions to the notice of their officials/ officers under their administrative control for compliance.

Yours faithfully

Encl.:- As above

(RAJENDRA KUMAR)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

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