April 14 – AirAsia India’s plan to start operations has got stuck in red tape as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is yet to hand over flying licence to the airline even after it has completed the final route familiarisation tests in the country.
A top DGCA official admitted that although AirAsia has got all the mandatory approvals, it has still not been given flying permit. However, he could not provide any specific reason as to why the flying permit is held up.
Despite stiff opposition from Indian carriers to AirAsia’s entry into the country, the DGCA had last month allowed the yet-to-start carrier to bring in its ferry flight (without passengers) to India for completing the mandatory route familiarisation process for getting the flying permit.
Now, when the process is already complete, the DGCA is yet to take a call on granting flying permit to the carrier.
Domestic carriers had lobbied to scuttle AirAsia’s entry. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy had also moved court to challenge the clearance granted to the airline. By now, AirAsia India was expected to get the flying permit, a top DGCA official admitted.
Interestingly, in January, the aviation regulator had for the first time invoked the archaic Aircraft Rules, 1937. The DGCA had used the rules to ask for public feedback on the application of AirAsia India to start services in the country.
-India Today
