Easier flight ahead for regional carriers

Regional airlines could get a gust of tailwind if expectations that the Ministry of Civil Aviation will ease the norms come good.

The ministry recently granted initial no-objection certificates (NoCs) to five regional operators —- Freedom Aviation and Air Pegasus for the southern region; Captain Gopinath’s Deccan Charters for the western region; Indus Airways, Karina Airlines and Religare Aviation for the northern region. These operators have to conform to all the norms and show their preparedness for regional flights in the next 18 months.

However, a proposal by a former Sahara Airline employee to begin scheduled operations has not been cleared.

Strict norms on fleet size and other stringent conditions have stymied efforts to improve regional air connectivity so far.

A comprehensive policy to promote regional airlines was devised in 2007. But not a single such airline has taken off till date.

MDLR, started by a Haryana based politician, had to shut shop and was unable to revive regional operations under the old norms.

Luan Airways wanted to begin from Guwahati and Star Aviation wanted to begin services to smaller south Indian towns from Chennai, but both remained on the ground.

Skyking, former Meghalaya chief minister P Sangma’s airline, got the NoC, but could not begin operations.

Ditto for Jagson Airlines, which now operates only chopper services in select destinations.

On the other hand, state-owned Pawan Hans Helicopters’ permit for regional connectivity has lapsed.

A host of regional cargo services such as Flyington Freighters and Avicore have also lost their NoCs before they could begin operations.

A regional airline, by definition, connects small cities in a region to the major metro of that region. It cannot operate outside the region and cannot connect to more than one metro city —- a rule that has proved a major stumbling block.

This could change before long, say sources.

“The civil aviation requirement on regional airlines will see substantial changes. Most operators want to connect to more than one metro,” said an aviation ministry official.

In March this year, the DGCA had come out with several concessions for promoting regional airlines. As per the draft guidelines, any company wanting to begin regional air services now needs to reach a fleet size of three aircraft within two years instead of the first year, as stipulated earlier. Only by the end of five years is it required to operate five aircraft against the earlier deadline of two years.

The concessions, if approved, will help interested players begin regional services.