Hope soars for Air Kerala, CM sets aside Rs.10 crore

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 12  Hopes of bringing into existence Kerala's own airline received a boost on Friday as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced Rs.10 crore had been set aside for the project in the state budget.

"I set aside Rs.10 crore for commencing Air Kerala. It will be done once we get the Centre's sanction to commence flights to the Middle-East countries from here," Chandy said in his speech while presenting the budget in the Kerala assembly.

The project has been caught in turbulence ever since he first mooted it during his first tenure as chief minister (2004-06).

The project envisages to help Keralites who are fleeced by airline companies for travelling to their state from different Middle-East countries. 

At present, rules for flying on international routes stipulate that a company should own 20 aircraft and should have operated domestic flights for five years.