India said to plan easing rules aiding SIA, AirAsia

India is planning to ease rules for domestic airlines to start international flights, a move that will benefit the local affiliates of SIA and AirAsia, 3 people familiar with the process said. Under new rules, local carriers won’t have to wait for at least 5 years to qualify for an overseas permit, the people said. The cabinet may consider the new policy as early as Wednesday although an official agenda isn’t ready yet and delays are usual, the people said. The govt is still debating whether to keep the minimum number of aircraft an airline should have in its fleet at 10 or 20, they said. Existing rules mandate that airlines must have a fleet of 20 planes to fly abroad. A change will enable carriers to start flying overseas immediately if they meet the minimum fleet requirement. <br/>