Govt clears four Jet officials name to join Air Sahara

NEW DELHI: In a major step forward in the 500 mn acquisition deal, the home ministry has given security clearance to four Jet Airways officials to join the Board of Air Sahara as directors.

The clearance would enable the Jet officials to formally become part of the airline their company has acquired, paving the way for the long-drawn acquisition process to go through.

Official sources said the members of Jet Airways Board, who were security cleared, are Saroj Dutta, Vijay Kelkar, Javed Akhtar and Victoriano P Dunca. They can now become full-time members of the Air Sahara Board once the DGCA clears their names.

Following the acquisition, Air Sahara had applied for grant of several clearances, including security clearances to these members, to the directorate general of civil aviation.

The file was forwarded by the civil aviation ministry to the Union Home Ministry for security clearance, which was granted last week, the sources said.

On receipt of the Home Ministry clearance, the Civil Aviation Ministry has now sent the file back to the DGCA for further approvals, they said.

Jet Airways is likely to operate Air Sahara as a wholly-owned subsidiary till some other regulatory clearances are granted to the acquisition process.

While the name of this subsidiary has been finalised, it will be announced only after all necessary approvals are received from regulatory bodies, including the DGCA.

The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, which is likely to clear the mega aviation deal, has listed the Jet-Sahara case for a final decision in July