Indian airlines oppose gov't proposal on air connectivity

(MENAFN) Indian airlines and private charter operators have opposed the government's proposal on air connectivity to regional and remote areas, saying it would severely impact their finance, Gulf News reported.

The opposition included almost all major airlines, including the proposed Tata-SIA carrier Vistara, who have submitted their opinions to the Civil Aviation Ministry of India, calling for further discussions.

The proposal increase in the number of trunk routes from present 12 to 30 and identifies 87 regional "incentive destinations". It makes it mandatory for scheduled airlines to mount capacity by October 2015.

Official sources said that India's Civil Aviation Minister has set up a meeting to discuss the policy and other issues like high taxation on jet fuel with top airlines officials.