* In an attempt to incentivise airline operators so that they fly to cities and towns with poor or no air connectivity, the ministry of civil aviation is looking at liberalising norms for conversion of regional airlines like Air Costa and Air Pegasus into national scheduled airlines in a phased manner. * The revised norms would enable regional airlines to fly on more than one trunk route to make operations commercially viable. At present, regional airlines are allowed to operate out of a single metro airport to another metro in the same region. * As per the proposal, if a regional airline wants to introduce a flight to say Bhatinda, the operator may get permission to fly between Delhi and Mumbai. The losses on the Delhi-Bhatinda route would be made up for by earnings registered by the flight between Mumbai and Delhi, incentivising operators to deploy capacity to smaller cities. [related-post] * It would not be an open policy, but permissions to fly on trunk routes will be granted on a case-by-case basis. * Besides, to induct more aircraft used by non-scheduled operators (NSOPs) as charter to serve regional and remote areas, the government is looking at allowing NSOPs to publish schedules. NSOPs will be allowed to operate with a scheduled commuter which would allow them to fly scheduled flights across the country but would bar them from having a hub or base in any of the six metro cities. * Scheduled commuter airlines are required to operate at least four flights a week on any one or more regional routes. Scheduled commuter airlines can undertake any other operation provided they comply with their scheduled operations. Scheduled commuter airlines can operate in any area or region but only to or from any one metro airport.
