Govt Mulling Strategy To Boost Performance Of Airlines: Raju

Designated airlines of a country are granted rights to operate flights to the other nation and vice-versa. The rights are either given in terms of the number of flights or seats per week. The capacity of the aircraft is also fixed at times under these bilaterals.

Since May 2013 till date, 17 new international routes have been granted to Indian carriers to fly on.

On the overall aviation scenario in the country, the minister said that despite a growth in passenger traffic, there was a "drift" in the aviation sector which needed to be arrested.

"There has been a drift in civil aviation (sector). We would like to arrest this drift. That is the general feeling we get," he said, adding that all strategies would have to be geared to end the drift.

Stressing that the government's priority was to promote remote connectivity, he pointed out that "this is a losing area economically. So that is major limitation... We will have to see how we can overcome it".

Raju said the Civil Aviation Ministry has planned to hold consultations with all stakeholders on promoting air cargo, which would in turn promote air connectivity in the remote parts of the country, apart from generating economic activity.
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