GoM on civil aviation policy likely to meet in January first week

New Delhi: A group of ministers (GoM) headed by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, which has to take a view on the new civil aviation policy before the Union cabinet approves it, may finally meet in the first week of January and possibly rush through a truncated policy to overcome past delays.
A group of ministers (GoM) headed by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, which has to take a view on the new civil aviation policy before the Union cabinet approves it, may finally meet in the first week of January and possibly rush through a truncated policy to overcome past delays.
The much debated civil aviation policy, called ‘Vision 2020’, seeks to liberalize international flying routes for Indian carriers, restructure the Airports Authority of India and set the road map for reforms in a sector that has witnessed explosive traffic growth in the last three years.
However, issues such as early international flying licences have been met by opposition from some of the group members and the group has not met since August after its first meeting. Railways minister Lalu Prasad, for one, had opposed any tampering with international eligibility criteria for domestic airlines before they complete a minimum five-year operating experience norm during the GoM’s first meeting, according to senior government officials.
A top government official familiar with the process, who did not wish to be named, said that in an attempt to break the impasse, the GoM scheduled to meet on 3 January may give the larger policy a go-ahead and leave controversial issues aside for further debate.
12/12/07 Tarun Shukla/Livemint

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Categories: General Aviation Dec 2007