The Hindu Business Line : Jet Air all set for daily US flight despite complaint

JET Airways is all set to begin a daily flight between India and the US later this month despite a complaint being filed with the US Transport Department about the ownership of Jet Airways.

"We have no restrictions or hold back from the US authorities. At the moment, we are on schedule for launching the new flight between India and the US from June 24," a senior airline official told Business Line from London. The airline was recently given permission by the Indian authorities to start operating a daily flight on the Mumbai-Brussels-Newark route. Jet already operates to Sri Lanka and London. It temporarily withdrew its flight to Kathmandu early this month.

Officials clarified that there were three levels of clearances, including by the US Department of Transport and Federal Aviation Authority, before any airline gets the green signal to start operations there. "All three agencies have to be in sync and the entire process takes about 30 days," the official added. When questioned on reports in the Indian media on ownership issues, the officials refused to comment, saying that they had not seen the reports in London.

Reports from the US say that the Maryland-based Jet Airways, Inc (a name similar to Jet Airways of India) has filed a petition with the US Transport Department that if the Indian carrier is allowed to operate in the US, "then we will once again have the Al Qaeda flying and controlling aircraft over American cities." The petition adds that this time, the officials who issue these permits will be held accountable for knowingly giving these aircraft the entry. Incidentally, the airline that has made the complaint is yet to start operations.

The US company has alleged that "since Jet Airways (India) Ltd was planned and started in 1991, it has been funded by Al Qaeda `specifically designated global terrorist' Dawood Ibrahim, and no matter how wonderful the service and the airline may be in India, it is still an enterprise, which is used to launder money for Al Qaeda and it is still an Al Qaeda airline."

A spokesman for the US Transport Department said that "the objections is under review," when asked about the petition.

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Jet Air all set for daily US flight despite complaint