All the gloom and doom that seem to have permeated the India’s aviation sector could well make experts wary of the industry’s future.
But a report published by the Center of Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) on its website says that while some carriers might have scrapped their
flights to India, a good number of global airlines are looking to expand their operations to the country, with few already have done so.
And perhaps the most heartening part of the report for the industry is the fact that not only big cities and traditional hubs like Mumbai and Delhi are attracting ventures from carriers but comparatively smaller cities like Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Amritsar too are featuring in the expansion plans of global players.
Virgin Atlantic is all set to resume
London-Mumbai flights from October. Dragonair will be offering flights to Kolkata from November. Etihad will offer a connection between Abu Dhabi and Ahmedabad also in November. Air China launched Chengdu-Mumbai operation in May 2012. Kenya Airways started non-stop Nairobi-Delhi service in May-2012.
The reason for India being such a focal point of
airlines around the world can be the fact that apart from being a highly popular holiday travel destination and an emerging economy, the country’s geographical location makes it a perfect regional hub. So, for every AirAsiaX that has suspended its cheap flights to India, there are several carriers that see a great potential in the country.
CAPA report says airlines based in Asia, Africa and the Middle East are the ones that seem to be most interested in India.
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