New Delhi: Government on December 14 indicated an early decision on the proposals of fleet acquisition by Air India and Indian Airlines, as well as of privatising the four metro airports.

At an international conference on aviation and tourism, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani said "quick decisions" on aviation and tourism should not only be taken but implemented also, while Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain said his ministry had already sent the fleet acquisition proposals of the two airlines to the Cabinet and will be sending the proposal on airport privatisation next week.

Emphasising "we cannot afford to move leisurely" in matters relating to the two sectors and information technology (IT), Advani said, "We have to take decisions without delay. In these matters, we should see that quick decisions are not only taken, but implemented also."

He also said in the two areas of civil aviation and tourism "an integrated policy is imperative" to synergise the potentials of both sectors. It was also necessary to synergise the efforts of government and the people and the private sector.

Advani said there was enormous tourism potential in India, which had to be exploited to the fullest extent. He said the pace of life, development and technological innovation had grown at a "fantastic pace" in the 20th Century and "we have to keep pace" with these developments to improve the national life.

Hussain said the decisions of the boards of Indian Airlines and Air India to acquire 43 and 17 aircraft respectively had been "yesterday sent by the (Civil Aviation) Ministry to the Cabinet committee on security (CCS) without any changes".

The CCS is likely to meet soon, he said but did not give a date. "Government does not want to delay this proposal," he added.

He said the proposal to privatise the airports at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai through the joint venture route would also be sent to the Cabinet "within a week".

Hussain said it had also permitted Indian passport holders to make use of chartered flights in and out of India, a facility earlier meant only for foreign passport holders. "Of course, the chartered flights have to operate to airports which have customs and immigration facilities," he added.

Describing the fleet acquisition and airport privatisation as the "biggest in the world at the moment" when the global aviation industry was reeling under a financial crisis, Civil Aviation secretary K Roy Paul said, "We should have the expressions of interests (on airport privatisation) within a month or so."

PTI