Jet awaits govt nod to launch more flights to Colombo

Jet Airways has so far not got official permission to launch additional flights to Colombo, four months after it applied, an airline official said.

"We submitted a proposal to the Government seeking permission to fly to Colombo from more Indian destinations. But even after four months, we are still awaiting Government's response," the official said here.

The airline presently operates one daily flight between Chennai and Colombo but it plans to fly to the Sri Lankan capital from New Delhi and Mumbai, besides a few other destinations.

A code-share agreement between state-run Air India and Sri Lankan Airlines is understood to be coming in the way of Jet Airways proposal, the official indicated.

The premier private carrier is understood to be eyeing the traffic to Europe and the Middle-east through its proposed Mumbai-Colombo service.

The Civil Aviation Ministry generally seeks flight plans from the national carrier when a new market is opened or seat entitlements on a particular international or domestic sector are increased.

With Jet Airways posting Rs 58 crore net profit in last quarter of 2010 financial year on the back of economic recovery and pick up in demand, the airlines is mulling some new routes which it may propose to launch in the winter schedule, the official said on Saturday.