New Delhi: The aviation sector in India, hit hard by the travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 crisis, has high expectations from the upcoming financial budget.
The sector expects the Centre to consider its demand for bringing aviation turbine fuel under the GST bracket and that of reducing airport charges to reduce the debt burden on airlines.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Sanat Kaul, Chairman of International Foundation for Aviation Aerospace and Drones, said, "The government should give relief on aviation turbine fuel but I don't think they will go for it. One thing the tourism finance corporation and aviation finance corporation can think together because these are the industries which suffer every now and then, so this can become their stabilizing factor."
Kaul added that the airlines which weren't able to fly for almost two months due to COVID-induced lockdown, will not be getting any financial-aid and it has been made very clear from the government side.
An airline executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said reducing airport, parking, landing, navigation charges along with the lowering taxes on ATF has been a longstanding demand of domestic airlines and they hope that government will provide some relief in this budget.
The experts also suggested that the government should now remove the capping on airfares and allow them to operate in full capacity which will help them to generate more revenues.
