Thiruvanthapuram : Air Kerala, the state government’s airline, would be launched April 14, 2013, to coincide with Vishu, new year’s day in the Malayalam calendar, says Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

“It (Air Kerala) will be airborne April 14. The only question is whether the first flight will be an international or domestic one. Next month, we will be applying to the director general of civil aviation with the preliminary capital of Rs. 100 crore, which we will raise by then,” Chandy, who is convalescing after a leg injury, told IANS during an exclusive chat.

The chief minister explained that under the rules, an airline can only fly international routes after completing five years of domestic service; there is also a stipulation about the number of aircraft that an airline operating internationally should have.

“But Air India Express was given a relaxation in rules when it started international operations.

They said it was because it was a subsidiary of Air India. So, when the state government put up the application, we also sought similar exemption. Moreover, at the moment, we are given to understand that one foreign airline is allowed to fly in here, without observing these stipulations,” Chandy said.-The Hindu