Come what may, 6 airports to be privatised: Ajit Singh
15 Jan 2014 6:03 AM IST
'The time is short. But once we have set the process in motion, the government may not continue but the process will,' Singh told reporters when asked how long the privatisation process would take.
He said the Civil Aviation Ministry has approved a draft request for proposal (RFP) but 'it will have to go through several committees. The IMG (Inter-Ministerial Group) will also go through it. It will meet some time soon.'
Government has put on the block the six airports at Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Guwahati, all modernised in the recent past by state-run Airports Authority of India. The concession agreements are also to be finalised.
Asked about the ministry proposal to relax or scrap the rule to allow Indian airlines to fly abroad, Singh said there would be 'nothing restrictive' once the rule was 'scrapped'.
The prevailing rule allows only those airlines to operate on international sectors which have a 20-aircraft fleet and have flown domestically for five years. Once the rule is done away with, he said the norms already set by the Director General of Civil Aviation would become operational. To a question by when the government would allow the superjumbo Airbus A-380 to fly from India, the Minister said, 'We are looking at it. Officials have talked to the airlines (which plan to operate these planes here).'
There were concerns over ground handling, immigration and security clearance for 500-600 passengers who would arrive or depart at a time in these large air planes, he said, adding the infrastructure to handle such a large number of passengers at one go has to be in place.
'We are awaiting the feedback' from security, immigration and ground handling agencies, Singh said.
‘MHA vetting Tata-Singapore Airlines honchos’ names’
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is vetting the names of top bosses of the new Tata-Singapore Airlines venture for security clearance, a pre-requisite for the start-up carrier to get an No Objection Certificate from the Civil Aviation Ministry.
‘I have sent it (Tata-SIA application for NOC) to the Home Ministry. They are looking into it,’ Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said in response to a question regarding ‘delay’ in granting it a no-objection certificate (NOC). Tata-SIA have applied to the Civil Aviation Ministry for a NOC to start a full-service airline in India. The joint venture received approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to set up Tata-SIA Airlines in October last year. As per rules, the directors on the board of a new venture have to get security clearance from the Home Ministry, only after which can they get an initial NOC. After receiving the NOC, the airline venture has to apply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a flying permit. As per the MoU inked between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines on 19 September last year, the board of the proposed joint-venture company would initially comprise three directors. While two of them —Prasad Menon and Mukund Rajan — would be nominated by Tatas, Mak Swee Wah is the director nominated by SIA.
The board, which would be headed by Menon, would be subsequently expanded to include six directors. All these names have been sent to the Home Ministry for security clearance.
He said the Civil Aviation Ministry has approved a draft request for proposal (RFP) but 'it will have to go through several committees. The IMG (Inter-Ministerial Group) will also go through it. It will meet some time soon.'
Government has put on the block the six airports at Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Guwahati, all modernised in the recent past by state-run Airports Authority of India. The concession agreements are also to be finalised.
Asked about the ministry proposal to relax or scrap the rule to allow Indian airlines to fly abroad, Singh said there would be 'nothing restrictive' once the rule was 'scrapped'.
The prevailing rule allows only those airlines to operate on international sectors which have a 20-aircraft fleet and have flown domestically for five years. Once the rule is done away with, he said the norms already set by the Director General of Civil Aviation would become operational. To a question by when the government would allow the superjumbo Airbus A-380 to fly from India, the Minister said, 'We are looking at it. Officials have talked to the airlines (which plan to operate these planes here).'
There were concerns over ground handling, immigration and security clearance for 500-600 passengers who would arrive or depart at a time in these large air planes, he said, adding the infrastructure to handle such a large number of passengers at one go has to be in place.
'We are awaiting the feedback' from security, immigration and ground handling agencies, Singh said.
‘MHA vetting Tata-Singapore Airlines honchos’ names’
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is vetting the names of top bosses of the new Tata-Singapore Airlines venture for security clearance, a pre-requisite for the start-up carrier to get an No Objection Certificate from the Civil Aviation Ministry.
‘I have sent it (Tata-SIA application for NOC) to the Home Ministry. They are looking into it,’ Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said in response to a question regarding ‘delay’ in granting it a no-objection certificate (NOC). Tata-SIA have applied to the Civil Aviation Ministry for a NOC to start a full-service airline in India. The joint venture received approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) to set up Tata-SIA Airlines in October last year. As per rules, the directors on the board of a new venture have to get security clearance from the Home Ministry, only after which can they get an initial NOC. After receiving the NOC, the airline venture has to apply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a flying permit. As per the MoU inked between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines on 19 September last year, the board of the proposed joint-venture company would initially comprise three directors. While two of them —Prasad Menon and Mukund Rajan — would be nominated by Tatas, Mak Swee Wah is the director nominated by SIA.
The board, which would be headed by Menon, would be subsequently expanded to include six directors. All these names have been sent to the Home Ministry for security clearance.
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