Home > Business > PTI > Report
Jet seeks govt nod to fly abroad
May 15, 2003 13:48 IST
Jet Airways, which inducted the 42nd aircraft in its fleet, has urged the government to allow domestic private carriers to fly abroad and also carry out their own ground handling.
"We have urged the government to allow us to use the unutilised bilateral air traffic rights and declare us designated carriers. We can speak with conviction that we will be able to provide better services than even the foreign airlines. Air Sahara has also made a similar appeal," Jet chief Naresh Goyal told reporters in Mumbai.
Asked in which sectors would they be willing to fly, he said, "Any sector the government allows us to operate in." He, however, favoured destinations in South, Southeast Asia and the Gulf.
To questions on the government's decision to allow only Air-India, Indian Airlines and Airports Authority of India to carry out ground handling in all airports in the country, Goyal said if the private carriers are not allowed to carry out their own ground handling, they can under no circumstance live up to their customers' expectations.
"While there should be no compromise on security and safety, we are hopeful the government would understand the practical problems.
"The mere fact that there has been no negative response so far makes us feel hopeful that the government will take a practical approach to resolve the issue," the Jet chief said.
© Copyright 2003 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
|