New Delhi, Ramadan 11, 1437, Jun 16, 2016, SPA -- India's federal cabinet approved on Wednesday a new aviation policy on Wednesday that includes several passenger-friendly measures and makes it easier for Indian airlines to fly abroad, dpa reported. "This will be a game-changer for the sector," federal Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju posted on Twitter. India's state-owned Air India and eight private airlines serve one of the world's five fastest-growing aviation markets, according to research organisation India Brand Equity Foundation. But the rapid growth of India's domestic aviation sector over the past decade, combined with a lack of government regulation, has spawned airline policies that hurt the consumer, including time-related hikes in fares and only partial reimbursement for cancellations and rescheduled flights. India's new aviation policy places various caps on fares - a limit of 2500 rupees (about 37 dollars) for flights of an hour or less, for example - a Civil Aviation Ministry official said. One could currently pay three to four times that amount for a 50-minute flight if the ticket is bought the same day instead of a week before. According to the new policy, refunds would also look at total fares instead of just the base amount, the official said. The new policy also allows domestic airlines with fleets of 20 or more aircraft to fly to destinations outside India, removing a five-year-minimum on business operations before allowing international travel. -- SPA 00:40 LOCAL TIME 21:40 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w