 "Open skies: These are 6 airlines one step closer to taking flight in India")
In a move that is being touted as a boost for the aviation sector and airline travel in the country, the civil aviation ministry has reportedly given no-objection certificates for three national airlines and three regional airlines in one month.
According to a Mint report , the new minister for civil aviation has given no-objection certificates to Air One Aviation, Zexus Air and Premier Air to become national airlines; andTurbo Megha, Air Carnival and Zav Airways to start regional operations.
All the airlines had applied for the no-objection certificates between 2012-13.
The airlines now have to approach aviation regulatorDirectorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for an airline licence if they are still keen on beginning operations.
Here’s what we know about the three airlines that have reportedly been cleared by the minister for national services:
Air One Aviation: Promoted by the former president of Air Sahara, Alok Sharma, the airline currently offers charter services to domestic and international destinations. It holds an operating permit for charter operations and as per the airline website, it was to have 10 aircrafts by the by the end of 2013 of which three are helicopters. The airline service primarily operates out of Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow.
Zexus Air: Little is know about this Delhi-based airline which last made the news while applying for a operator certificate with the DGCA to add four Embraer jets to its fleet.
Premier Air: Reportedlypromoted by non-resident Indian Umapathy Pinaghapani, the Mint article says the airline is based out of Bangalore. It is not known if there’s any connection with the airline that was to be launched in 2006 by a Chennai-based real estate company Premier. Reportedly funded by US-based NRIs the no-frills airline was meant to connect Chennai with other metros and other major cities in south India.
And these are the three airlines cleared for regional services:
Turbo Megha: Headquartered in Hyderabad, the charter airline servicehas two active partners Ram Charan Tej Konidala andVankayalapati Umesh. Set up in 2003, it initially provided ground handling services to airlines before diversifying into charter operations. The airline service has one chopper and two small jets for charter operations from Hyderabad.
Air Carnival: Started in 2013 by SI Nathan, the company at present offers charter services based out of Delhi.
Zav Air: Headquartered in Kolkata, the company offers helicopter services with a fleet of twin engined helicopters. It primarily caters to the northeastern states and is expected to continue operations in the region.