More than two months after the US sought security related information about Jet Airways from India, the Civil Aviation Ministry has given an all-clear to the airline in a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs. It has also provided necessary background for responding to US queries. This, sources said, includes the security clearance of the Home Ministry to Jet’s board. On the basis of this clearance, the airline is permitted to operate in India. The security clearance is renewed annually and the Civil Aviation Ministry scrutinised these documents before allowing it to fly to foreign destinations. The airlines ran into trouble in May when its plans to start operations to the US were thwarted by a Maryland-based airlines with the same name. Jet Airways Inc and its CEO Nancy Heckerman filed objections before the US Department of Transport alleging that the airline had links with Dawood Ibrahim, designated a global terrorist by the US for his links to the Al-Qaeda. Washington directed its embassy here to obtain details from India. The embassy wrote to the Civil Aviation Ministry but is still to get a response. The issue is now with MEA which has been asked to prepare a reply. The three-month window, after the filing of the application with the US Department of Transport, ends next week.
