The Hindu Business Line : Kingfisher will operate on international routes this year

New Delhi, Jan 9 Kingfisher Airlines will be allowed to operate international flights from this year, the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, said on Wednesday.

Speaking to newspersons on the sidelines of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas function, the Minister parried a question on whether there had been a rethink within the Government on diluting norms for domestic airlines to fly on global routes.

5-year norm

Currently, the Government stipulates that an airline must complete five of years of domestic operations and have a fleet of 20 aircraft before it is eligible to operate abroad.

While Kingfisher has 34 aircraft in its fleet, it is yet to complete three years of operations. The airline hopes to overcome the five-year norm for international flights by completing the acquisition of Air Deccan soon in which it has already acquired more than 50 per cent stake.

Kingfisher keen

Kingfisher Airlines is keen to get international traffic rights as the first of the five Airbus A-340-500 aircraft it plans to acquire arrives in the next two months.

The Airbus aircraft is capable of operating non-stop flights between India and the US and Kingfisher is planning to start flying between Bangalore and San Francisco.

When asked whether the Government would allow Kingfisher Airlines to operate international flights with a 51 per cent stake in Air Deccan, Mr Patel merely said that they (Kingfisher Airlines) had already become the owners of Air Deccan.