Govt works to erase VT

New Delhi: Three years after the first half-hearted attempt to change the nationality code on Indian aircraft (VT), the Civil Aviation Ministry has launched a fresh all-out effort with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to replace VT, which stands for Victorian Territory (?), to a code that reflects India’s post-Independence status.
A move was made in the NDA regime to change it to BM (Bharatmata) or BH (Bharat), but authorities soon discovered that the ‘B’ series had been already given to China. Now, the move was to look at IU (Indian Union) or Indian Republic (IR) but as it turns out, the ‘I’ series belongs to Italy.
But this time the Ministry has asked Naseem Zaidi, India’s representative at ICAO, to find a way to somehow obtain a code that can reflect India’s independent status. The options involve engaging countries like Italy through the ICAO to allow a two-letter code that can begin wih ‘I’.
There is a sudden push being given to efforts in the wake of the merger between Air India and Indian. The merged airline will have its first operation on August 1 from Mumbai to New York when it will show the “common face”.
23/06/07 Pranab Dhal Samanta/Indian Express

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Categories: General Aviation Jun 2007