Under the proposal, if a foreign carrier does not operate flights to a particular Indian airport for 'four consecutive IATA seasons', the regulator may suspend that airport authorisation.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, scheduled to meet on June 22, could take a call on ending uncertainty on taxing foreign airlines and shippers as regards certain services, a senior official in the know told Business Standard. He said the Council was expected to decide on exempting the services in question from GST - aircraft lease rentals, maintenance, crew salaries, etc. These services are provided by foreign airlines to their Indian operations.
IndiGo has the lowest pilots-to-aircraft ratio among domestic airlines in India, according to data presented in Parliament. SpiceJet and Akasa Air have the highest ratios. Air India Express employs the most expat pilots.
India is closely monitoring the situation in West Asia and working to ensure the safety of its citizens stranded in the region. Over 52,000 Indians have returned home following the partial opening of airspace.
Sri Lanka has established emergency hotlines and is in close contact with its diplomatic missions in West Asia following escalating tensions in the region. The country is also preparing its airports for potential flight diversions and emergencies.
Sri Lanka has established emergency hotlines and is closely monitoring the situation in West Asia following escalating tensions, urging restraint and de-escalation from all parties involved.
Noida Police arrested two individuals for allegedly defrauding over 100 people of more than Rs 70 lakh by promising fake overseas jobs through social media. The accused operated under a fictitious firm, luring victims with promises of high salaries and free visas.
'No civilian deserves to live in fear. No civilian deserves to be caught up in a war which is destabilising the entire region.'
With the Iran war escalating sharply and crisis deepening in the global energy market, India on Monday unveiled a coordinated plan to support exporters and shippers caught in the fallout.
Government has rejected a recommendation for a review of the present policy of not allowing foreign airlines to pick stake in domestic carriers, Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday.\n\n
Centre is likely to make a decision on allowing foreing airlines to operate out of Kozhikode soon.
Baghaei also alleged that recent unrest in Iran was fuelled by foreign interference, claiming riots were triggered by "very evident" interventionist remarks by US and Israeli officials.
An Air India Airbus A350 sustained engine damage after ingesting a baggage container while taxiing at Delhi airport. The incident occurred after the flight returned to Delhi due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace. The DGCA is investigating.
As per the present policy, foreign carriers are not allowed to pick stake in Indian airlines. However, the government allows FDI up to 100 per cent in other areas of the aviation sector, like developing of greenfield airports or in cargo and maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities.
Ahead of the finalisation of the new civil aviation policy, Centre on Thursday said there was no proposal for allowing foreign airlines to pick up stake in domestic airlines.
The government is likely to take a final decision on allowing foreign airlines to pick up stakes in Indian carriers in a 'couple of weeks', with the Union civil aviation ministry proposing a 24 per cent cap as against 26 per cent recommended by the industry ministry.
'Given that India underperformed emerging markets by 28 per cent in 2025, the worst performance in over 30 years, the timing of the sharp STT hike could have been better.'
According to the new takeover guidelines, if they buy 25 per cent or more, they will have to make an open offer for another 26 per cent.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has come out with a fresh circular making it clear that "in case the airline is compelled to operate a particular flight with a higher capacity aircraft, it shall be ensured that the capacity is restricted to that of the original aircraft".
The cases, brought to light by Team Aid, a non-governmental organisation specialising in repatriation assistance, have sparked calls for urgent government intervention to resolve what campaigners describe as a "humanitarian crisis".
Indian equities declined on Friday, with the benchmark Nifty posting its worst weekly fall since September, as foreign investor sentiment remained weak amid tepid earnings growth and little progress on the India-US trade front.
Foreign airlines can now pick up 49 per cent stake in India's domestic carriers, a step that is expected to give a boost to cash-strapped aviation industry.
The commerce and industry ministry is not in favour of allowing foreign airlines to buy stake in Indian carriers on the ground that the sector is sensitive.
In a move which could affect the Jet-Etihad deal or start-up carriers like Tata-SIA or AirAsia India, DGCA has made it clear that foreign airlines or investors would not have the right to control the management of an Indian carrier.
Following the government move to allow FDI policy in the civil aviation sector, Chairman of debt-ridden Kingfisher Airlines Vijay Mallya on Wednesday said the carrier was in talks with foreign airlines.
The investigation wing of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has cleared nine foreign airlines of cartelisation and abuse of dominant position charges, pressed by the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).
The Economic Survey 2011-12 on Thursday made a case for allowing foreign airlines to invest in domestic carriers, a suggestion that will enable the ailing sector to access overseas capital and expertise.
In what can be seen as a major setback for the civil aviation sector, the new aviation policy, to be announced soon, is likely to continue with the existing practice of not allowing equity participation by foreign airlines in domestic operations.
Currently, Saudi Arabian Airlines is the main provider of domestic flights in the Kingdom alongside the low-cost carrier Nasair.
Indian airlines have also been advised separately to give relief, an official said.
It is clear that foreign airlines have realised the growth possibilities of the Indian aviation sector and are keenly interested, the minister said.
An Air India Express spokesperson said that the Jeddah-Kozhikode flight was diverted to the Cochin International Airport and "made a precautionary landing due to suspected damage to the aircraft's tyre likely caused by a foreign object on the runway at Jeddah airport".
Aviation watchdog DGCA has granted IndiGo a six-month extension to operate two leased Boeing 777 aircraft from Turkish Airlines, subject to certain conditions. This decision comes after a previous extension and amidst geopolitical considerations.
Where was the Board when a predictable regulatory change brought the country's largest airline to its knees? asks Dr Sudhir Bisht.
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