Airlines requesting for permission are SpiceJet, Indigo, Jet Airways and Air India that operate flight to Gulf countries and are requesting the government to allow them take off to the Gulf when flying out of Ahmedabad over the Arabian Sea.
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“Airport Authority of India has straightened the route from Ahmedabad to Gulf which will save on fuel”.
Also, flying straight out of Ahmedabad saves costs for the airlines that now use a circuitous route via Pakistan, according to airline officials. On the existing route from Ahmedabad to gulf, our carriers fly over pakistan airspace. In its request, SpiceJet said that the direct route over the Arabian Sea would help the airline operator save money per flight and will help reduce carbon emissions. “In the past few days, India has asked some non-scheduled aircraft flying from Pakistan to return and Pakistan may also retaliate”.
Rejecting any such apprehensions, a senior DGCA official said there is “no political issue” in the matter, as reflected in some reports.
SpiceJet is reported to have moved both defence and civil aviation ministries in this regard seeking direct access for its flights from Ahmedabad to the Gulf under the ” flexi-use of airspace+” facility.
However, SpiceJet’s official reason for this request was to save fuel and route navigation flight charges (RNFC).
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It said that several airlines, operating their aircrafts in the Pakistan’s airspace, fear security threat due to the worsening India-Pakistan ties. According to a presentation made to the Defence and Civil Aviation Ministry, the airlines, if allowed to access the oceanic route under the “flexi use of airspace”, will save around Rs 1 lakh.
