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Nary a dull moment

The last few months have proved to be exceptionally exciting for the civil aviation sector in India. The 'on-again-off-again' merger deals between Air India - Indian and Jet Airways - Air Sahara have now reached a conclusion and newspaper inks have run dry printing post-announcement coverage.

But the real action for the players starts now. The Air India - Indian merger will give birth to a new entity, which would spell the commencement of an all-new business model. The same holds true for Jet and its new venture Jetlite. It will be interesting to watch all the action emerging from both sides in the coming months that will unveil new strategies, new policies and action plans.

Meanwhile, the Indian skies are also witnessing a new entrant in the domestic space - MDLR Airlines recently commenced operations with initial plans to fly within the north and the eastern sectors of India.

Always under the spotlight, Kingfisher is going all out to announce its achievement of being the first Indian carrier to order the A380; the aircraft is on the threshold of making its India test entry. However, it will be interesting to see whether our airports are ready to receive this 21st century aircraft.

With so much action happening in the house, the world has shifted its focus to India. The recent first-ever US - India Aviation Summit is proof of that. The truth is that the US has seen a lot of potential commercial interest in the Indian region for aviation business. But what is of importance and something that needs to be followed with keen interest is how India will gain from this handshake.

Reema Sisodia
Associate Editor
reema.sisodia@expressindia.com