Skift India Daily: Air India’s Latest Flex Will Make It Harder for Foreign Airlines to Gain Access
Photo Caption: India's civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia urged domestic carriers to fly long-haul and help establish new hubs.
Skift Take
As India grows its aviation market, the government is making sure that its homegrown airlines have an advantage over foreign carriers. However, will Indian carriers rise to the occasion?
A debate over market access was rekindled at an aviation event in India as foreign carriers seeking additional capacity to serve more routes in India feared the Tata Group-owned Air India's rebirth and record order of 470 jets might capture most of the market. Dubai's Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Kuwaiti carrier Jazeera Airways have all called for sharp increases in air traffic rights to and from India to meet demand. Vietnam and Indonesia also want more flights, an Indian official said. However, speaking to Reuters India's civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the country has no plans to increase air traffic rights for the United Arab Emirates. He instead urged domestic carriers to fly long haul and help establish new hubs. "We are going to see an explosion of air traffic in India in the years to come," he said, adding he wanted domestic carriers to focus on international expansion. "We are not getting enough share from this market," Turkish Airlines C
