AirAsia India announced it has received the crucial ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the civil aviation ministry, with the Malaysian parent company’s chief Tony Fernandes terming the development as “very exciting”. Though the ministry issued the certificate last week, this was the first formal statement by the AirAsia CEO on Twitter. “I am thrilled to announce that Airasia India has received NOC approval from the Government of India. Very exciting and highly profitable,” Fernandes tweeted.
With the NOC in hand, AirAsia India would now have to apply to the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) for its scheduled operator’s permit (SOP or the flying permit), which is the final step before it can start its flight operations.
The NOC would also enable AirAsia India to import the first of the three aircraft to Chennai, which would be its headquarters. At present, AirAsia operates in Thailand and Malaysia and connects Chennai, Bangalore, Tiruchirappalli, Kochi and Kolkata in India. The parent company, AirAsia, had submitted a request to start the joint venture to launch AirAsia India in February this year. “This is the fastest an NOC has been granted and with this, we will focus on obtaining the Air Operating Permit. We will continue with our preparations and get ourselves ready for takeoff once the air operating permit is acquired,“ Mittu Chandilya, AirAsia India CEO, said in a statement. The statement said AirAsia India was “confident that it will be able to replicate the success of its counterparts in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, enabling people to fly affordably through superior operational performance, which will tremendously benefit the Indian consumers.“
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