The State has sought scrapping of the 5/20 rule for commencing the flight operations of Air Kerala and extension of the open sky policy to all international airports based on their infrastructure facilities and flight-handling capacity.
In its suggestions to the draft Civil Aviation Policy unveiled by the Civil Aviation Ministry for discussion with stakeholders, Kerala has pointed out that limiting the open sky policy to major international airports is discriminative.
Considering the sustainability of the existing government and public-private-partnership airports, the State has suggested that no future airports be permitted within 150 km radius of these airports.
A three-member committee headed by Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson has been set up to study the draft policy and submit suggestions. Additional Chief Secretary, Aviation, V.J. Kurian and Managing Director of Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) G. Chandramouli are the other members. The committee is to submit the suggestions soon. The demand for abolishing the 5/20 rule is seen as the last attempt by the State to commence flight operations of Air Kerala, the airline start-up conceived by the State to provide Non-Resident Keralites (NoRKs) better connectivity to West Asia at affordable fares. The State has been knocking at the doors of the Ministry to overcome this hurdle.
The option of Domestic Flying Credit listed in the draft policy has been opposed by the State pointing it out as a slight variant of 5/20 rule. The State has demanded that new carriers be allowed to commence international operations without any restrictions.
The State has sought exemption for seaplane from Air Traffic Control (ATC) clearance when they fly below 5,000 feet after providing flight plan with the nearest ATC. The need for the development of heliports in remote districts has been highlighted by the State. A minimum ATC facility by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been mooted for these heliports without cost implication. It has also been pointed out that basic infrastructure for ATC operation can be developed by the State.
The ‘5/20’ rule allows an Indian carrier to fly abroad only after it has completed five years of domestic operations and maintains a fleet of 20 aircraft.
