Thiruvananthapuram: Domestic flight operations of Air Kerala, the airline start-up conceived by the government to provide Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) better connectivity to the West Asia at affordable fares, are unlikely to materialise in the near future.
The new Civil Aviation Policy unveiled on Wednesday removed the requirement of five years of domestic flying for starting international flight operations to the relief of some airlines. But, the 5/20 rule that had been replaced with a “level-playing field” said airlines could operate to international sectors only if they deployed 20 aircraft or 20 per cent of total capacity (in terms of average number of seats on all departures put together) for the domestic operations. “For Air Kerala, taking 20 aircraft on dry lease or wet lease is unimaginable and not affordable. We can manage up to five aircraft. The move to commence domestic flight operations will be confined to paper now,” sources in Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), which co-owns the airline company, told The Hindu .
The director board of Air Kerala that met last year here under the chairmanship of the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had deferred the decision to commence flight operations till a “clear picture” emerged on the move to amend the ‘5/20’ rule. CIAL had even initiated steps for leasing one aircraft and to approach the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for certification.
16/06/16 S. Anil Radhakrishnan/The Hindu
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The new Civil Aviation Policy unveiled on Wednesday removed the requirement of five years of domestic flying for starting international flight operations to the relief of some airlines. But, the 5/20 rule that had been replaced with a “level-playing field” said airlines could operate to international sectors only if they deployed 20 aircraft or 20 per cent of total capacity (in terms of average number of seats on all departures put together) for the domestic operations. “For Air Kerala, taking 20 aircraft on dry lease or wet lease is unimaginable and not affordable. We can manage up to five aircraft. The move to commence domestic flight operations will be confined to paper now,” sources in Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), which co-owns the airline company, told The Hindu .
The director board of Air Kerala that met last year here under the chairmanship of the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had deferred the decision to commence flight operations till a “clear picture” emerged on the move to amend the ‘5/20’ rule. CIAL had even initiated steps for leasing one aircraft and to approach the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for certification.
16/06/16 S. Anil Radhakrishnan/The Hindu
