In a step that could see AirAsia India taking to the skies soon, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday disposed of objections filed by the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) and competitors, among others, challenging the issue of a flying permit to the new carrier. In a month-long public scrutiny of Air Asia India’s proposal, the aviation regulator received 18 objections, including from FIA and Inter-Globe Aviation Ltd, which operates IndiGo. “The representationists have not been able to make out any case against AirAsia India, for refusing to consider its application for grant of Air Operator Permit (AOP). I, therefore, do not find any reason to not consider the application of Air Asia India, for grant of such permit,” the DGCA’s response, uploaded on its website, said. A senior DGCA official said that the AOP process will begin shortly. “Now, the ball is in their court. The airline has to submit some documents and the AOP will be processed as and when they submit the documents. It should not take long,” he said. In a first for any startup airline, the DGCA had called for objections/suggestions from public on the AirAsia India’s proposal in the middle of January. The aviation regulator had formed a three-member committee under joint director general AK Sharan, which recommended approval for AirAsia India and the DG Prabhat Kumar approved it. AirAsia India is the first airline to be launched since the government in September 2012 allowed 49 per cent FDI in civil aviation from foreign carriers. It is a three-way joint venture among Malaysia’s AirAsia - Asia’s largest budget airline - Tata Sons and Telestra Tradeplace. The venture was announced last February and had subsequently got approvals from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board and the civil aviation ministry. Though AirAsia India has not issued any statement on the launch date of the airline, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes had said in January that the airline should start flying by April this year. A large part of AirAsia India’s approvals are in place. The airline has got in-principle approval for import of 10 Airbus A-320-200 aircraft in December last year. The DGCA has also approved a plan by the airline to train its pilots and cabin crew in Kuala Lumpur, where AirAsia has training centres. The DGCA, however, wants the airline to come up with training centres here in India at a later stage.
