State govt wants a say in civil aviation policy

HYDERABAD: The state government wants a say in the civil aviation policy. The Naresh Chandra Committee set up by the Centre on the civil aviation front is yet to finalise its draft.
The government feels that in the new policy the Centre should incorporate the views of fast moving states like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, which have taken up construction of greenfield airports.
Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sent a letter to the Union civil aviation minister in this regard. Naidu, a strong advocate of the open sky policy, has been urging the Centre to free the skies from bureaucratic clutches.
This issue is likely to figure at Wednesday''s meeting between the state officials and the Union civil aviation minister in New Delhi. Naidu will also take up the issue with the Prime Minister.
The state government is of the view that the civil aviation policy always lays stress only on airlines, flight management, increasing the number of aircraft, air routes and so on and not on improving infrastructure facilities like construction of new airports, big and small.
In fact, the government wants important towns and cities in the state to be airlinked and is planning to invite some air operators to start services.
A private airliner, which recently started its operations in the state, is reportedly doing well and this has encouraged the government to negotiate with big operators to start air services in the state.