The US State Department has given security clearance to India's Jet Airways, enabling the private carrier to launch flights to America.
The clearance was formally granted to the premier private carrier by the Department of Transportation after the State Department said the airline had passed security, sources said.
The authority of exemption was granted by hte US Department of Transportation in favour of Jet Airways, they said. Jet's plans to launch operations to the US a year ago were upset after an American company of the same name alleged that the Indian carrier had links with terrorist masterminds like Dawood Ibrahim and outfits like Al Qaeda.
Jet Airways had then indicated that it would take legal action against the United States-based Jet Airways Inc whose president and chief executive officer had alleged that the Indian carrier had links with terrorist organisation Al Qaeda.
It is understood that the US authorities have informed the airline about the clearance granted to it. Following allegations levelled by US-based Jet Airways Inc about the Indian carrier's underworld links, the US Department of Transportation had investigated the matter and also sought information from the Indian government.
The Union home ministry had last year given clearance after a fresh inquiry.
The airline had then planned to launch flights to New York via Brussels, which did not materialise.
Jet Airways has now sought Union civil aviation ministry clearance to operate to New York and San Francisco from the summer of 2007.
It has also sought permission to fly to Toronto, via Hong Kong and via Dusseldorf, from next year, besides China.
Other destinations it plans to fly to in the near future are South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius, Rome, Zurich, Munich and Frankfurt.
The private carrier had last year signed $2.5 billion worth purchase agreements with aircraft manufacturers Airbus Industrie and Boeing for ten A 330-200s and ten B 777-300 ERs. Their deliveries are expected to start from the first quarter of next year.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel himself had been annoyed at the delay in security clearance to Jet, but he had said that all required procedures have to be followed before the airline was granted permission to operate to the US.
