USA's downgrade for Indian aviation restrains Jet Airways expansion plans

MUMBAI: Jet Airways will have to keep its expansion plans to the US on hold for now as a result of the recent US regulator's downgrading of India's aviation safety, its finance chief said on Monday. Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan, who is also the acting CEO, was talking to analysts in a conference call.

Jet Airways currently operates 14 flights to the US and Canada and wanted to add an equal number of additional flights via Abu Dhabi, the hub of its strategic partner Etihad.

Earlier, the US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded India's aviation regulator to category II, category similar to countries such as Swaziland, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. Soon after the downgrade American Airlines and United Airlines severed their codeshare ties with Jet.