New Delhi, Aug 1 - Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel Saturday asked private airlines withdraw their proposal to suspend operations Aug 18 and asked them come to the table for discussions rather than inconvenience passengers.

'The government understands the difficulties being faced by aviation sector. However, the government does not support any move that will inconvenience the travelling public of the country,' Patel said in a statement.

'We advise the airlines to engage in a dialogue with the government,' he said, while warning that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the sector's regulator, will be asked to take strict action if the airlines did not withdraw their threat.

The decision to suspend operations, taken at a meeting in Mumbai of the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) Friday, the representative body of private carriers in the country, has also been criticised by air travellers, who said this kind of threat should be dealt with severely.

'These people are in the service sector. They earn their bread and butter from us. How can they take such a decision that has no concern for passengers? There are ways to protest -- but certainly not this way,' said Mohan Parthasarathy, an executive based here and a frequent traveller.

The civil aviation minister said state-run Air India, which is not a member of the federation, will mount additional services Aug 18 so to reduce the inconvenience of passengers.

'The issue of tax on aviation turbine fuel is a state issue and the aviation ministry has been requesting the states for the past few years to see reason,' he said, referring to one of the demands of private carriers for a cut in jet fuel prices.