India’s newest domestic startup, full-service Delhi-based Tata SIA Airlines, could have an advantage over newcomer budget-carrier AirAsia India as the latter is forced to wait for its air operators permit (AOP), which has been delayed by the decision of the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to issue a public notice requesting comments. This could put on hiatus AirAsia’s plans of launching before summer. Tata SIA, for its part, received its No Objection Certificate from the DGCA in September last year and “expects to start operations by mid-2014,” a spokesman told AIN.
AirAsia India was due to have started operations by the end of 2013; investment company Tata Sons holds a 30-percent share in the budget carrier, while also holding an interest in Tata SIA–a potential conflict of interests it has refused to comment on. Somewhat surprisingly, India’s Competition Commission seems to have no objection to this, saying one carrier is full service and the other a budget, despite there being very little difference in practice. It is clear, however, that Tata is much more interactive with SIA than with AirAsia.
12/02/14 Neelam Mathews/AINonline
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AirAsia India was due to have started operations by the end of 2013; investment company Tata Sons holds a 30-percent share in the budget carrier, while also holding an interest in Tata SIA–a potential conflict of interests it has refused to comment on. Somewhat surprisingly, India’s Competition Commission seems to have no objection to this, saying one carrier is full service and the other a budget, despite there being very little difference in practice. It is clear, however, that Tata is much more interactive with SIA than with AirAsia.
12/02/14 Neelam Mathews/AINonline
