New Delhi: The government has proposed a raft of sops for airlines dedicated to small towns.
A new category of carriers - scheduled commuter airlines - will be set up to link small airports to metros, though the carriers will not be allowed to ply between metros.
In fact, the civil aviation ministry wants to convert all regional carriers, including non-scheduled operators, into scheduled commuter airlines.
According to a draft policy of the ministry on regional connectivity, the minimum paid-up capital for such airlines will be reduced to Rs 2 crore.
No restrictions will be placed on the minimum number of aircraft, but the planes must weigh less than 25 tonnes. Moreover, at least 200 flights need to be undertaken annually.
Capacity of aircraft weighing less than 25 tonnes - such as the Bombardier CRJ 200, Embraer ERJ 145, Saab 2000 and ATR 72-600 - is usually between 40 passengers and 74 passengers
"Such airlines will link small cities to metros, such as between Bagdogra and Calcutta or Jamshedpur and Calcutta," said civil aviation ministry officials who drafted the policy, now being considered by an inter-ministerial group.
24/03/15 Jayanta Roy Chowdhury/Telegraph
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A new category of carriers - scheduled commuter airlines - will be set up to link small airports to metros, though the carriers will not be allowed to ply between metros.
In fact, the civil aviation ministry wants to convert all regional carriers, including non-scheduled operators, into scheduled commuter airlines.
According to a draft policy of the ministry on regional connectivity, the minimum paid-up capital for such airlines will be reduced to Rs 2 crore.
No restrictions will be placed on the minimum number of aircraft, but the planes must weigh less than 25 tonnes. Moreover, at least 200 flights need to be undertaken annually.
Capacity of aircraft weighing less than 25 tonnes - such as the Bombardier CRJ 200, Embraer ERJ 145, Saab 2000 and ATR 72-600 - is usually between 40 passengers and 74 passengers
"Such airlines will link small cities to metros, such as between Bagdogra and Calcutta or Jamshedpur and Calcutta," said civil aviation ministry officials who drafted the policy, now being considered by an inter-ministerial group.
24/03/15 Jayanta Roy Chowdhury/Telegraph
