Page 17 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2014 Online Magazine

FEATURE AIRBUS

an operation manual detailing the
availability of manpower to operate flights
as well as on the ground, parking space at
airports and engineering facilities, before
granting the flying permit.
DGCA official Kumar says the
committee, in its report submitted has
“found no case for refusing to consider
AirAsia’s application for grant of AOP.”
With the flying license in hand, the
airline is expected to begin operations in
about two to three months in the southern
city of Chennai, AirAsia India Chief
Executive Officer Mittu Chandilya says. “I
AirAsia India to fly can’t wait for us to start flying.”
He says the company was working on
“being the lowest cost” airline in India.
from July and competitive airfares and will soon
The airline has promised to offer low

file a flight timetable for approval from
Flying permit is valid only for one year By Subodh Agarwal the DGCA for its first few routes before it
can open bookings to begin commercial
AIrAsIA IndIA wIll commence AirAsia India - a joint venture between operations.
operations from July, after it received Malaysia’s low-cost carrier AirAsia Group The budget carrier will initially focus
a license from the government aviation Bhd and local investors –the Tata Group on providing domestic tier 2/tier 3 city
regulator, becoming the first airline with and Arun Bhatia’s Telestra Tradeplace connections to Indian travelers, “which
foreign investment to operate in India. announced the start of the new airline in have a lot of potential and are mostly
The Directorate General of Civil February 2013. Later during the year, the untapped markets,” Chandilya says.
Aviation (DGCA), late on May 7, issued airline crossed mostly all major hurdles, “After the approval, we will seek slots
the air operator permit to the country’s including a permission from India’s at the different airports,” he informs.
new no-frill carrier, the last key approval Foreign Investment Promotion Board to The Airports Authority of India (AAI)
required by the airline to begin commercial invest 800 million rupees ($13.4 million) has already allotted space for the airline
operations in the country, after a nearly in the new airline and a no-objection in the old domestic terminal in Chennai to
six month-long wait. certificate from the civil aviation ministry. set up its offices.
“We have granted the flying license to The airline’s previous plans to start An airline official informs the process
AirAsia India, subject to the final decision operations in India earlier this year has of ticket sales and a publicity campaign is
of the Delhi High Court and that is, under been marred by regulatory delays and likely to begin in June.
the directions of the Supreme Court,” litigations India opened its aviation skies to
DGCA chief Prabhat Kumar says. “Everything has been hard for AirAsia foreign investment in 2012 in an attempt
However, the flying permit is valid for but we never give up,” Tony Fernandes, to improve growth in the sector and
one year since the airline currently has Group CEO of AirAsia says. “Today AirAsia overall economy.
only one aircraft. India has got approval.” The DGCA, in a circular issued in
“They need to bring four more aircraft The airline concluded the last leg of February 2014, said there was an urgent
within one year after which the air operator inspections including two demonstration need to facilitate air traffic by boosting the
permit will be extended by another four flights this week with DGCA officials existing airlines as well as allowing new
years,” Kumar says further. aboard the airline’s first Airbus A320 ones “so that Indian public has optimum
AirAsia India plans to have a 10-aircraft aircraft posing as passengers to validate availability of air traffic services as well as
fleet within a year. It took delivery of its readiness to handle emergency improved global and domestic connectivity
its first aircraft Airbus A320 in March situations in the air. at reasonably affordable tariffs.”
after getting permission from the Indian The DGCA set up a three member Airline experts feel the entry of AirAsia
government last year to import 10 aircraft. committee to examine areas such as the India is good news for flyers since the air
It will take delivery of additional nine aircraft requirement, airworthiness, safety fares will drop further but challenge the
A320 aircraft for its Indian operations measures, and maintenance, repair and existing domestic airlines by leading to
later this year. overhaul facilities and, most importantly, intense price competition.
WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM MAY / JUNE 2014 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS 17