International airlines may soon be allowed to fly Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, into India with the aviation ministry setting up a group to study and decide time slots for the aircraft at local airports.

Nine airlines, including Etihad Airways PJSC, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Deutsche Lufthansa AG, operate the wide-body, double-deck jets, which can seat as many as 525 passengers. “They are all asking for it,” said civil aviation minister Ajit Singh, referring to a slew of foreign airlines wanting to fly the jumbo jet into India’s modernized airports such as Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. Singh said he sees no reason why the A380 should not be allowed to fly in India.

So far, the Airbus A380 has been barred from flying commercially in India because it may stretch the existing infrastructure at Indian airports and undermine local airlines that do not have the aircraft in their fleet. Still, the Airbus A380 has made debut flights in India, been present at local air shows and even made an emergency landing at Hyderabad on its way from Australia.

“The only thing left is how to allow it so that it is not inconvenient to other passengers. Right now, 500 passengers disembark in one go so there are concerns on security, immigration and also on ground handling of the A380,” Singh said, adding that a committee will do a time study at airports to ascertain how the aircraft can be allowed without stretching the infrastructure.

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