The government may soon decide on relaxing the norms of five years of domestic flying and a 20-aircraft fleet to allow Indian carriers to operate abroad.

All Indian airlines barring GoAir have been flying overseas fulfilling these requirements, but changes in these norms are being keenly awaited by two start-up airlines, AirAsia Indiaand Tata-Singapore Airlines.

GoAir has also urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to consider relaxing rules which allow only those airlines to fly abroad which have operated in the domestic sector for five years and have 20 aircraft in their fleet.

"I personally see no logic in such a rule. I feel there should not be any cap, but I have asked Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to look into the issue and suggest. Accordingly, we will move the Cabinet,"Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh told reporters here.

To questions on the Route Dispersal Guidelines which mandate airlines to operate to socially important but financially unviable routes like in the Northeast, J&K and island territories, he said he favoured a gradual process of doing away with such rules, barring the Northeast.

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