Reliance Industries Ltd has said that it is in discussions with various aviation firms in the country to offer them with jet fuel handling services at various airports across the country.

Tushar Pania, a spokesman for the company said, “We have been approached by airlines to provide them services for handling aviation turbine fuel on their behalf at the airports.”

Reliance has said that it is holding talks with airlines including, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines as well as government-owned Air India for providing the service. Reliance states that it ahs the infrastructure ability to provide such services at 27 airports across the country.

Mr. Pania has also said that the discussions with the airlines are in its preliminary satge. The service might involve activities like providing storage facilities at ports, transport services to airports and fuelling infrastructure around the aircraft.

The move comes after a ministerial panel recommended allowing aviation firms to import jet fuel for their own use in an attempt to help the firms, which are facing a severe low liquidity situation, to save costs by avoiding some several local taxes imposed by state governments. The recommendation will only be implemented if the central cabinet accepts it.

The fuel that is used to power jets accounts for as much as 50 percent of an airline’s operating cost in the country. The high taxe rates in the country that includes sales tax has resulted in the cost of jet fuel being among the highest in the world. This has put huge pressure on margins on the firms in the sector.