International airlines see scope in India as aviation hub
NEW DELHI : Foreign airlines have always seen India as a market that feeds their hubs, but that seems to be changing with key foreign carriers from Asia Pacific seeing India becoming an aviation hub, which can be used to connect Africa and the Middle East from their part of the world. Senior executives from Japan Airlines and Thai Airways said they see the potential of India becoming a hub but it may take some time for this to become a reality.
“India has the potential, I believe so. It is possible when one looks at connections towards the Middle East and Africa.
While it is still early for a hub to be established, I think it is possible in the future," Shimizu Shinichiro, executive vice president, Japan Airlines, told Mint. It is worth noting that the government is working on a plan to develop India as a hub for connecting international traffic.
The government is in the process of hiring consultants to suggest ways to make all airports in metro cities suited for transit passengers with an intent to reduce time for passenger transferring from one plane to another. The stakeholders have assessed the practices at airports like Heathrow in London, Dubai, Doha and Singapore and are trying to put the best practices in action at Delhi with IndiGo and Air India as the lead carriers for short and long-haul connectivity.
The government has also in the past restricted any increase in bilateral rights to ensure that Indian carriers can increase their presence in international skies—that strategy has paid off. Since covid-related restrictions eased across borders, Indian airlines have been seeing higher traffic of passengers flying from one part of the world and transiting via Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata for international
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