Mittu Chandilya, chief executive officer at Air Asia India, has announced that the low cost carrier will begin operations at the end of the year, as it is expected to have received the all clear from India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation at that point.
Air Asia India recently received the airline license it applied for from the ministry back in April, but is still awaiting the no-objection certificate and security clearance. A potential legal hurdle also stands in the way – namely that political party the Bharatiya Janata Party has filed a lawsuit to the supreme court requesting Air Asia India's clearance be halted since it violates the country’s foreign investment policy. The court however has yet to decide whether or not the case has grounds.
Air Asia India hopes to receive all certificates before December, at which point it will initiate domestic operations with a fleet of A320s. It currently has three, and hopes to add an aircraft every month during the first year of operations. The airline will initially start flying within the south of India, and then expand to other key markets.
On October 31, meanwhile, Air Asia Japan will cease operations since the joint venture between ANA and Air Asia has ended (see news here). ANA announced last week that the airline will be re-branded Vanilla Air (see here).
For more information, visit www.airasia.com
Valerian Ho
