National Civil Aviation Policy: Decision on 5/20 rule soon

The Cabinet is likely to meet again on Friday to consider the National Civil Aviation Policy which could include new norms for international flying rights and special measures to boost regional connectivity, senior civil aviation ministry officials said. The government may allow domestic airlines with 20 aircraft to fly international routes and do away with the requirement of completing five years of domestic operations. However, the airlines may need to deploy at least 20 per cent of their total aircraft capacity on domestic sectors.The proposed regional connectivity scheme (RCS) may put a cap of Rs.2,500 on airfares for an hour’s flight on regional airports