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Private airlines to fly overseas
Monday, 02 February 2004, 20:30 IST
NEW DELHI: Indian private airlines may be allowed to fly overseas and foreign operators could be allowed to operate to India in the peak December-February season for three years.
The cabinet could take a decision on this Wednesday.
In a move that private domestic carriers Jet Airways and Sahara Airlines hope will boost their operations, the government is likely to permit them to operate on all unused foreign routes except Gulf.
At the same time, foreign airlines could be allowed to operate any number of flights to India in the peak season of December, January and February for the next three years.
"We are ready to operate to any new destination abroad," said a Jet Airways spokesperson welcoming the proposal. "But we cannot say anything until anything official comes from the government."
Both private domestic airlines Jet Airways and Air Sahara are already operating to Sri Lanka and are to launch operations in other neighbouring countries once formalities are over.
A Sahara official said: "We are waiting to see what the government decides. It would be a welcome step to allow us to operate to other destinations as we are prepared for it."
But these are the only two airlines likely to benefit from the move, what with the government intending to introduce a rider - only those domestic carriers who have operated for two years in India would be allowed to fly abroad.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his cabinet are likely to take a formal decision in Wednesday's meeting that will take up the civil aviation policy.
The policy recommends 49 percent foreign equity besides a rule against foreign airlines picking up stakes in domestic carriers.
According to civil aviation ministry officials, the ministry of external affairs has already given its nod to a proposal to let domestic private carriers to fly to central Asian destinations.
State-owned domestic carrier Indian Airlines (IA) and flag carrier Air-India (A-I) have been unable to meet the growing demand due to their limited capacity.
Source: IANS
Source: IANS