SpiceJet Lobbies for International Route Subsidies
by Neelam Mathews - March 29, 2018, 9:08 AM Budget airline SpiceJet wants India to extend its Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) to international destinations, the airline’s managing director, Ajay Singh, told AIN during the Wings airshow held in Hyderabad recently. In an effort to lower the cost of air travel, Indian authorities action and award routes identified under the RCS to airlines asking for the least amount of subsidy and willing to submit to ticket price ceilings. Also called "Udan," the RCS—introduced last year—aims to develop remote regional airports. “We are looking at a version of Udan,” said Singh, referring in particular to the untapped potential of eight hilly states of the Northeast Region (NER), many sharing a common border with China and Southeast Asia. A purchase agreement signed last year for 25 specially configured Bombardier Q400s will make SpiceJet the first airline in the world to operate a 90-seat ...
