US regulators processing Jet Airways' proposal to begin flights
26 Apr 2007
Jet Airways plans to launch its Mumbai-Newark flight from
August 5 this year.
"Their applications are just being wrapped up. They
have given us most of the details. They are planning to
launch their flights this summer," Marion C Blakey,
administrator of US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA),
said.
Blakey is here to attend India-US Aviation Partnership
Summit.
Airlines operating to and from the US would require approvals
from economic and operating authorities, besides clearances
on procedures and routes, she said, adding, "Most
of the details have been given by them."
Asked about liquor baron Vijay Mallya''s plans to launch
an airline in the US to operate flights to India, she
said American authorities had not received any such application.
"In the US, there are issues relating to ownership...
Mallya has family members who are US citizens. At this
point, there are no applications," she said, adding
Mallya was already operating a "very successful"
airline (Kingfisher) in India.
Mallya had recently said if the Indian government did
not review rules to permit him to fly abroad, he would
launch an airline in the US to operate to India.
Blakey said despite the ''open-sky'' agreement between India
and the United States, operating flights to either country
required government-to-government approvals.
Jet Airways, meanwhile, signed an exclusive travel agreement,
which will lead to Travelocity''s hotel offerings being
available through the Jet Airways website.
This
agreement will enable travellers to book hotels in India
via Jet Airways website: ''jetairways.com''.
The
agreement with the sixth largest travel agency in the
US represents an innovative and first-to-market initiative
for Jet Airways to offer real-time hotel bookings online.
