Foreign airlines can add more flights in India

With the peak tourist season on the anvil, a new rule has come into effect to allow foreign airlines to mount additional capacity of up to 10 per cent of their entitlements during high air traffic.

The fresh guidelines, issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), also do away with the right of national carrier Air India to issue a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to clear the extra flights which fall under bilateral entitlements, official sources said.

Mounting of additional capacity entails deployment of a larger aircraft or operating additional flights by foreign airlines, which are subject to the bilateral air traffic agreements between India and these countries.

Earlier, the R N Kaw Committee, set up to strengthen the DGCA, had recommended that availing of the NOC from the national carrier should be done away with in order to clear extra-section flights of its competitors, provided these fell within their bilateral entitlements.

This recommendation has been accepted by the government, the sources said, adding the government expects that similar reciprocal rights would be granted to Indian carriers by the foreign governments whose airlines are allowed to mount additional capacity.

An airline, which plans to mount additional capacity beyond what it has been entitled to, should put in a request which would be dealt with by the DGCA without obtaining the NOC from Air India.

The operation of additional capacity would be subject to the condition that the total capacity mounted by an airline in a particular period should not exceed 10 per cent of the weekly capacity laid out in the bilateral air traffic agreement between India and their country, the sources said.

As per the new guidelines, additional capacity beyond the bilateral entitlements can be granted to a foreign carrier under certain specific circumstances, including a peak period or to clear seasonal rush like during Christmas or New Year.

These entitlements can be granted in case of natural calamities or emergencies like outbreak of a disease or for the purpose of evacuation or relief work.

Foreign airlines can now also mount additional flights for any major global conference like NAM, CHOGM or an international sports event which necessitate huge movement of delegates or spectators.

These guidelines would be applicable only for scheduled designated foreign carriers and not for non-scheduled or charter operators, the sources added.