India ready to operate more flights to Pakistan

India was keen to link more destinations in Pakistan by its national carriers but was unable to do so because of restrictions on increasing air connectivity despite improvement in bilateral ties, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said here.

Patel, who is here in connection with the resumption of Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto flight, said there was no wrong-doing in Air-India's decision to opt for an all-Boeing fleet instead of the Airbus Industrie.

"We follow established and well-laid down procedures. Air-India takes decisions on what is good for them. They have techno-economic evaluation. They cannot go outside the guidelines," he said.

He said the national flagship strictly followed the laid down procedures and there was no need to "assuage feelings" of the any aggrieved company.

To a question on increasing flights to Pakistan, he said India was keen that more carriers, including Air-India and private airlines, fly to Pakistani destinations like Karachi and Lahore, but "there are some limitations".

Despite improvement in relations, there were restrictions still on increasing air connectivity, he said. Pointing out that India had worked out a policy on increasing air connectivity to Saarc nations in 2003, Patel said, "Permission was not granted by Pakistan to do so, including by the private carriers".

Air India, he said, was planning to launch services to Lahore and Karachi, besides Indian Airlines which was already operating to Lahore. He said if buses could ply, why not planes fly.

On modernisation of airports, the minister said the design for the international airport in Kolkata had been awarded to a French firm which had designed the Charles de Gaulles Airport of Paris after an international design competition.

"The work will begin by early 2006", he said.