Reacting to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation?s move of granting an air operator?s permit (AOP) to AirAsia, lobby group Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) on Thursday moved the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the approval.
The High Court has put up FIA?s application for hearing on Friday.
FIA has Jet Airways, GoAir, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Kingfisher Airlines as members, and these had earlier filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against the approval granted to AirAsia and Tata-SIA airlines.
FIA is pleading for a stay on AirAsia?s commencement of operations, and another stay on ticket sales. It has sought that the Centre be restrained from allocating airport slots to the airline and scheduling its flights.
The plea contends that the Centre and the DGCA, by granting the AOP, are over-reaching the authority of the High Court ?by hurriedly taking decisions? that amount to a fraud.
The lobby group has also argued that “third party equities” will be created for pilots, travel agents and passengers if the DGCA gives approval for scheduling flights and selling tickets.
On May 1, the Delhi High Court had said that it will constitute a special bench to hear the plea of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) seeking a stay on the commencement of operations of AirAsia and Tata-SIA Airlines.
The special bench constituted by the High Court will hear the matter on July 11.