Pvt airlines may soon fly to West Asia

Mumbai: More domestic airlines are expected to fly to the Gulf apart from PSU carriers. The ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) may allow all airlines to fly international destinations, including the Gulf routes, if a carrier completes three years of operations. A policy in this regard, christened Vision 2020, will come before the Cabinet on Thursday for approval.
Currently, the Gulf region is reserved for national carriers Indian Airlines and Air India, along with its international low-cost carrier Air India Express for a period of three years, which expires in 2008.
Jet Airways and Air Sahara (now JetLite following the acquisition by Jet) — which have been lobbying for opening it up — would be the first airlines flying in these routes.
“The government is planning to relax the norms for the international operations to three years of operations and 20 aircraft in its fleet against the current five years and 20 aircraft. The new civil aviation policy envisages this relaxation is irrespective of international destinations,” said government sources.
This would mean that any airline which has completed three years of operations can fly on the Gulf route, which is considered a cash cow. If the Cabinet approves MoCA’s proposal, low-cost carrier Air Deccan can immediately fly Gulf, while Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines and another Delhi-based budget carrier SpiceJet can make it to the Gulf destinations by May 2008.
31/05/07 P R Sanjai/Business Standard

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Categories: Foreign May 2007, General Aviation May 2007, New May 2007