AirAsia CEO criticises Swamy's attack on deal

Swamy had yesterday written to the PM, alleging corruption in the AirAsia-Tata deal

Malaysian low cost airline AirAsia's chief executive officer Tony Fernandes on Wednesday criticised Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy for calling the company's deal with the Tata group for a new airline as "fraudulent".

"It is a shame that India has lost many years to vested interest. The South Asian aviation industry is far, far ahead of India," he told the media here.

"There are some bizarre rules; five years time before you can fly internationally! There are too many people who have vested interest, and they do not think of what India needs."

According to the present Indian norms, airline companies must have domestic flying experience of at least five years to be eligible to fly to overseas destinations.

Swamy wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday on the AirAsia-Tata deal, alleging corruption in the new venture. Swamy had been vocal about his criticism of the Jet-Etihad deal as well.