After IndiGo crisis, Centre clears two new airlines to lift competition
.webp)
As the Indian aviation industry recovers from the recent IndiGo crisis, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday said the government has cleared the way for two new airlines.
"Over the last one week, pleased to have met teams from new airlines aspiring to take wings in Indian skies—Shankh Air, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress. While Shankh Air has already got the no objection certificate (NOC) from the ministry, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress have received their NOCs this week," Naidu said in a post on X.
Naidu said encouraging new airlines remains a key focus of the ministry, noting that Indian aviation is among the world’s fastest-growing markets. "Schemes like UDAN have enabled smaller carriers like Star Air, India One Air, Fly91, etc to play an important role in the regional connectivity within the country and there is more scope for further growth," he added.
The move comes against the backdrop of recent disruptions in the aviation sector caused by the cancellation of over 4,000 IndiGo flights between December 1 to 9, mainly due to difficulties in the implementation of the new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms. The budget carrier is currently facing multiple investigations and flight reductions due to the chaos.
It also comes as part of the Centre's damage control measures to avoid recurrence of a similar situation in future. During the crisis, Naidu informed Parliament that the Centre has been continuously working to encourage competition in the aviation sector.
"We have envisioned the demand to be growing at such a rate that we want to have more airlines in the picture... The demand that India is creating today, we need to have five big airlines, and that has been the effort from the ministry to encourage more airlines to join the industry," Naidu said in the Rajya Sabha.
His statement and the latest move highlight the importance of competition in a sector currently dominated by IndiGo and Air India, which together account for about 85 per cent of the market, according to Finshots.
Other Latest News
.webp)
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the expansion of Delhi’s Metro network at a cost of ₹12,015 crore, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The approval covers Delhi Metro’s Phase V(A) project, which includes three new corridors spanning a combined length of 16.076 km. The project will be funded by the Centre, the Delhi government and international funding agencies.
.webp)
As Delhi continues to reel under severe air pollution, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has acknowledged that the transport sector accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the capital’s emissions. He further expressed deep concern over the city’s toxic air, saying he falls ill after staying in Delhi for just two days due to pollution, according to ANI.
.webp)
A federal judge said the Trump administration can move ahead with a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, providing a setback for US technology companies that rely on hiring skilled foreign workers.
US District Judge Beryl Howell said in a ruling Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s move to radically increase the cost of the popular visa is lawful.
.webp)
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday criticised the BJP government for policies he claims have hurt small businesses, particularly targeting the Vaishya (trader) community.
He pledged his full support to the Vaishya community, calling it a fight against the BJP's "feudal mindset."
.webp)
Shares of Castrol India rallied nearly 9 per cent on Wednesday after global oil giant BP reached an agreement to offload a 65 per cent stake in Castrol at an enterprise value of $10 billion.
The lubricant company's stock rose as much as 8.8 per cent during the day to ₹202.4 per share, the steepest intraday since June 9 this year.
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
