New Delhi: In a move designed to sharply improve air connectivity in small towns across the country, the government has decided to allow single-engine aircraft with up to nine seats to perform commercial operations along side larger airlines like IndiGo and Air India. This comes even as the ministry of civil aviation starts a consultation process to combine the two categories of non-scheduled operators (NSOPs) and scheduled airlines.
The development marks a major shift from the current rules where single-engine aircraft are only allowed for recreational or air charter services, and commercial operations are restricted to larger twin-engine aircraft. This strategy will be a part of the new civil aviation policy for which a draft was released in November, and a final version will be notified in January next year.
“Initially we thought of increasing helicopter services through Pawan Hans to improve air connectivity in smaller towns. But that was proving unviable. Instead allowing the huge fleet owned by air charter services to perform commercial operations will have a better impact, especially because most airports in smaller towns have shorter runways where larger jets owned by the scheduled airlines cannot land,” an aviation ministry official told FE.
10/12/14 Roudra Bhattacharya/Financial Express
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The development marks a major shift from the current rules where single-engine aircraft are only allowed for recreational or air charter services, and commercial operations are restricted to larger twin-engine aircraft. This strategy will be a part of the new civil aviation policy for which a draft was released in November, and a final version will be notified in January next year.
“Initially we thought of increasing helicopter services through Pawan Hans to improve air connectivity in smaller towns. But that was proving unviable. Instead allowing the huge fleet owned by air charter services to perform commercial operations will have a better impact, especially because most airports in smaller towns have shorter runways where larger jets owned by the scheduled airlines cannot land,” an aviation ministry official told FE.
10/12/14 Roudra Bhattacharya/Financial Express
