Experts give thumbs down to Air Kerala Express, Gulf ship service

Thiruvananthapuram: The assembly session that was adjourned sine die on Wednesday saw the government proposing two ambitious plans to alleviate the travel troubles of the 2.5 million non-resident Keralites working in the Gulf region.
The proposals aren't new, but were revived after there was a huge hike in airfares in this sector during peak season. Chief minister Oommen Chandy said on Monday that Kerala would once again approach the Centre for approval to establish Air Kerala Express airline for the benefit of people working in the Gulf.
Experts and senior civil aviation ministry officials, however, consider the move immature and unfeasible. "To get approval to start an airline, the government should get a schedule operator's permit from the civil aviation ministry. But the government policy says that permission for flying on international routes will be given only after an existing airline completes five years of operations," a senior official in the ministry said. The issue of bilateral seat-sharing agreement between two countries, in this case between Gulf countries and India, will also be a roadblock.
26/07/12 Times of India

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: New Jul 2012