Kingfisher may fly international in 2007

In a move aimed to circumventing the government8217;s regulations forbidding new carriers from operating on the international route, owner ...

In a move aimed to circumventing the government8217;s regulations forbidding new carriers from operating on the international route, owner of Kingfisher Airlines Vijay Mallya today said that he had registered a company Kingfisher International in the US and would start international operations by the end of 2007.

8216;8216;We have already completed the formalities of registering Kingfisher International in the US. If the government does not give me the required permission to fly internationally, we will use Kingfisher International to start our international operations, which we hope to start by end of 2007,8217;8217; Mallya said here today.

According to the present government rules, an airline has to operate in the domestic market for five years before it is eligible to fly regular international flights. At present only Air India, Jet Airways and Air Sahara have the approval to fly abroad.

In a similar style earlier, Air Deccan8217;s managing director Capt Gopinath had circumvented this rule by registering Deccan Lanka in Sri Lanka which has been approved by the island state8217;s aviation authorities. The new airline hopes to take to the skies within the next six months

Mallya said that the airline would run its Airbus A-3308217;s on the international routes. International routes are seen as virtual cash treats by Indian air carriers with all of them clamouring for rights to fly abroad. Speaking about the aviation scenario after the acquisition of Sahara by Jet, Mallya said that he had held discussions with Air Deccan, GoAir and Indigo to discuss about the future.

8216;8216;We are not trying to form a union. We just want to say that this are is a very capital intensive sector and the government has a duty to protect the business interests of all the airlines to whom it has given licenses8217;8217;.

Mallya also hinted that the government should not give any new licenses to airlines in view of the limited infrastructure available. He also said that the airlines could approach the government individually or as a group to call for redistribution of infrastructure which is now heavily loaded in favour of Jet after it acquired Air Sahara.

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8216;8216;Kingfisher Airlines is not concerned about the 50 per cent market share that Jet Airways has secured consequent to the acquisition of Air Sahara. However, in a situation where there are severe infrastructural constraints and bottlenecks, it is necessary to focus on the development of civil aviation in general, consumer interests and equal opportunity for all players in civil aviation in particular,8217;8217; he said.