While Great Wall Airlines of China has already received the requisite permission from Indian authorities, it is yet to start flying. China was expected to give a clearance to Jet Airways for flying to San Francisco via Beijing in reciprocity after which the airline was to fly to Shanghai and Guang Zhou.

The right to fly to Shanghai was crucial for Jet Airways that planned to develop Shanghai as its second hub after Brussels and launch its Mumbai-Shanghai-San Francisco flight before Kingfisher Airlines. Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal had left no stone unturned to get these rights from China, accompanying the

PM-led business delegation to the country. This would have been the first time a non-Chinese airline would have been allowed to operate from China.

But the delay in Chinese clearance has caused some anxiety in South Block, as India was prompt in allowing Great Wall Airlines to fly to Mumbai and Chennai despite security concerns by the national security council secretariat and other agencies. The Ministry of Civil Aviation will meet their Chinese counterparts soon to clear the air on the issue.

“We have written to them on the issue and they have responded.

A round of meeting is expected soon and they have mentioned some probable dates but the final date is yet to be decided,” the official added.

Chinese envoy to India Zhang Yan had confirmed at a recent seminar in New Delhi that there were some “technical problems” in allowing Jet Airways to fly through China and said it was being discussed.