Mumbai, Oct 30: The Open Sky Policy should help Air-India and Indian Airlines "prepare itself to face competition", union Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said. With bilaterals not being fully utilised, there was growing demand from global airlines to operate out of India and the two airlines "need to gear up now and prepare itself for competition", the Minister told reporters here last night at a function for travel and trade industry to launch additional flights to US and new services to Shanghai from December.
IA was able to successfully face competition by improving their service and product and fight off the challenge when private airlines were allowed to operate within the country, he said adding, "I am confident that the two airlines would `rejuvenate' and face the foreign carriers".
Rudy said while the fleet planning proposal of A-I was yet to be cleared by its board, that of Indian Airlines (for 43 Airbus aircraft) was expected to go before the public investment board soon.
The Naresh Chandra Committee report on aviation policy was in the "final stages and expected any time", Rudy said.
On privatisation of airports, Rudy said the cabinet empowered committee would meet in the next couple of days to discuss the progress on the privatisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports.
Bureau Report