Emirates chief wants Indian aviation to liberalise faster

Beijing: Indian aviation sector has to liberalise rapidly to keep in tune with the huge air traffic growth being experienced by the country, a top airline official said today.
"India has not missed the opportunity of being an aviation hub. You do not write off India. It has a great opportunity. There are problems. But you need a focussed approach to civil aviation," Tim Clark, President of the Emirates Airlines, said on the sidelines of IATA's annual summit here.
Replying to questions on the government's intention to allow foreign airlines to pick up 49% stake in Indian carriers, he said "the Chinese do it big time and they value what civil aviation is. Obviously you need to get foreign carriers in, just as the Chinese carriers need to go out. How come India cannot do the same? With Europe down you have a great opportunity to pick up kick-start and get it going."
"If you look at it from an arms length it looks okay. As an investment, 49%. But then if you work the practicalities like high fees at the airports...The airports were told that the terminal will be full of foreign and Indian carriers...You will be full of people. But then you do not allow anyone (airline or investment) to come in. Why will you do that?"
12/06/12 PTI/Business Standard

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Categories: Foreign Jun 2012, Indian Aviation- In General Jun 2012