Intl flights: Case-by-case nod likely

New Delhi: In the debate over a three-year vs five-year operation criterion for domestic carriers to be eligible to fly abroad, the civil aviation ministry favours a case-by-case approach.
Senior officials are of the opinion that instead of deciding the fate of carriers on the basis of how long they have serviced the domestic market, the emphasis should be on their fleet strength and financial health.
“Internationally, the eligibility of any domestic airline to fly overseas is decided on a case-by-case basis and this is what should happen here too. Any airline should not be allowed to fly overseas merely because it has serviced the domestic market for some years. Fleet strength and financial health should also be looked into,” said an official.
A group of ministers is currently studying the issue of allowing domestic carriers to fly abroad.
As per current guidelines, only airlines with five years of domestic operations behind them are eligible to fly abroad. So, if the ministry were to have its way, Kingfisher and Spice Jet would be allowed to fly abroad much sooner than anticipated.
16/11/07 Sindhu Bhattacharya/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: Foreign Nov 2007, New Nov 2007