New Delhi, Dec 07: The high-powered Naresh Chandra Committee, set up to evolve a roadmap for the civil aviation sector, will present its report tomorrow and is likely to recommend allowing foreign airlines to pick up stake in the domestic aviation sector up to 49 per cent. The recommendations of the five-member committee, headed by the former cabinet secretary, is likely to form part of a new national civil aviation policy if approved by the government.

The panel is also likely to recommend divesting the equity in Air India and Indian Airlines, a process which got stalled earlier.

Official sources said the report, to be submitted to Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, has dealt with a gamut of issues to facilitate the government in formulating the policy, which is likely to be finalised by January next year. The policy, once finalised, would be vetted by the ministries of finance, defence and petroleum before being sent to the Union Cabinet for approval, the sources said. But the Naresh Chandra report would be examined by the civil aviation ministry itself.

Besides Chandra, other members of the committee were HDFC chairman Deepak Pareekh, advisor in Planning Commission Pronab Sen, Civil Aviation Secretary K Roy Paul and finance advisor to the ministry V Subramaniam.


Among various issues, the committee has deliberated upon competition in the area of international and domestic airlines and the future role of Air India and Indian Airlines.

Bureau Report