India may allow private airlines to fly to London

Airline Industry Information, Oct 5, 2004

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The Indian Tourism Minister has hinted that privately owned Indian airlines might soon be able to fly between India and London when a new open sky policy is activated.

Speaking at a tourism roadshow on 4 October 2004 Tourism Minister Renuka Chowdhury said that the government was discussing the possibility of letting routes reserved for Air India such as those to London be operated by private airlines.

India's biggest private carrier Jet Airways has been told by the minister that they should work together to implement the new open sky policy and help India's tourist trade to continue its 26% annual growth, reports the Hindustan Times.

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