'Future Opportunity', Says Air India After National Carrier Allowed Self Ground Handling Operations At US Airports

The development has overturned a US Department of Transportation's July 2019 order whereby Air India's right to self-handle at US airports were suspended.

(Photo: PTI)

National carrier Air India has been allowed to conduct self ground handling operations at US airports. On its part, the airline has called the move as a future 'opportunity'. An Air India spokesperson said the airline was not affected due to this restriction by the US Department of Transportation to self handle at the US airports as it did not conduct any self-handling of its flights in US. "However, the relaxation will give us an opportunity to self handle at US airports in future if there is ever such a need," the spokesperson added. The development has overturned a US Department of Transportation's July 2019 order whereby Air India's right to self-handle at US airports were suspended. The order copy of the Department said that along with and other US government agencies it has have continued to work with the Indian government towards satisfactory resolution of the matter. It further said that recent positive developments have led the department to tentatively determine that the public interest now calls for removal of the permit condition imposed a year ago. "We therefore have tentatively decided to amend Air India's permit to remove that condition," the order said.