<p>In one step forward, the Civil Aviation Ministry today met for the first time to decide on allowing the Airbus A-380s to operate at some airports, years after some major foreign carriers sought the right to fly these superjumbos to India.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Preliminary discussions were held at the meeting chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary K N Shrivastava and attended by DGCA Arun Mishra, Air India CMD Rohit Nandan and officials of the Ministry.<br /><br />Official sources said a decision on the issue would be taken only after these officials take the views of all Indian carriers, but no date for such a meeting has been fixed.<br />The Indian airlines have so far been opposed to the entry of the superjumbo as they feel that a large chunk of passenger traffic out of India would be captured by the foreign carriers flying these aircraft, they said.<br /><br />Today's meeting came in the wake of investments in Indian carriers by three major foreign carriers, two of which -- Singapore Airlines and Etihad -- own and operate the A-380s. AirAsia does not fly these fully double-decker, wide-body and twin-aisled long-haul jets.<br /><br />The other carriers which have been wanting to operate these aircraft, which can accommodate over 525 passengers in a three-class configuration, are Lufthansa and Emirates. These airlines have submitted applications to fly the superjumbos as early as in 2008-09.<br /><br />The sources said changes in the bilateral air services agreements (ASAs), which India has with a large number of countries, would have to be made to give effect to a decision to allow the A-380s, whenever it is taken.<br /><br />The ASAs would have to be re-worked to include a cap on seats instead of frequencies, as the Indian carriers are concerned over the fact that a foreign carrier could fly A-380s as per their country's ASAs and take away a large chunk of air travellers on a particular route.</p>
<p>In one step forward, the Civil Aviation Ministry today met for the first time to decide on allowing the Airbus A-380s to operate at some airports, years after some major foreign carriers sought the right to fly these superjumbos to India.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Preliminary discussions were held at the meeting chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary K N Shrivastava and attended by DGCA Arun Mishra, Air India CMD Rohit Nandan and officials of the Ministry.<br /><br />Official sources said a decision on the issue would be taken only after these officials take the views of all Indian carriers, but no date for such a meeting has been fixed.<br />The Indian airlines have so far been opposed to the entry of the superjumbo as they feel that a large chunk of passenger traffic out of India would be captured by the foreign carriers flying these aircraft, they said.<br /><br />Today's meeting came in the wake of investments in Indian carriers by three major foreign carriers, two of which -- Singapore Airlines and Etihad -- own and operate the A-380s. AirAsia does not fly these fully double-decker, wide-body and twin-aisled long-haul jets.<br /><br />The other carriers which have been wanting to operate these aircraft, which can accommodate over 525 passengers in a three-class configuration, are Lufthansa and Emirates. These airlines have submitted applications to fly the superjumbos as early as in 2008-09.<br /><br />The sources said changes in the bilateral air services agreements (ASAs), which India has with a large number of countries, would have to be made to give effect to a decision to allow the A-380s, whenever it is taken.<br /><br />The ASAs would have to be re-worked to include a cap on seats instead of frequencies, as the Indian carriers are concerned over the fact that a foreign carrier could fly A-380s as per their country's ASAs and take away a large chunk of air travellers on a particular route.</p>