Major foreign airlines seem to have adopted a wait-and-watch approach over the Government’s decision to allow them to pick up 49 per cent stake in Indian carriers, even though the Government says the mood in the industry was upbeat.
Air India has been kept out of the ambit of this major policy announcement, but there have been reports about a couple of Indian carriers holding preliminary discussions with foreign airlines to attract investment.
A day after notifying the foreign direct investment (FDI) rules, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said the sector was passing through a difficult phase due to the economic slowdown, but “the mood is upbeat after the Government has allowed 49 per cent FDI in domestic airlines.”
However, barring Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, many of the major foreign airlines have said they currently do not have plans to invest in Indian carriers.
Aviation think-tank Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation also said, “The floodgates of investment are unlikely to open in the short term but from the perspective of improving sentiment and demonstrating that the Government is committed to supporting the development of a viable airline industry, this is a positive milestone.”
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