India Ministry of Civil Aviation: International Air Connectivity of India to Improve Substantially

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to open 11 new International Sectors under Bilateral Air Services Agreements (ASAs) to the national carrier Air India as well as to other Indian Scheduled Carriers. These Sectors are: Mumbai-Dar-es-Salaam Delhi-Guangzhou; Delhi-Yangon ; Delhi-Tashkent; Delhi-Ho-Chi-Minh City; Delhi-Hanoi ; Delhi-Almaty Delhi-Macao ; Delhi-Addis Ababa ; Delhi-Melbourne; Delhi-Sydney .

Ch Ajit Singh, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation has earlier reviewed the utilization of traffic rights under Bilaterals and has decided to allow the Indian Scheduled Carriers including Air India to utilize the Bilaterals till such time they reach the maximum permissible limit under Air Service Agreements (ASAs). While finalizing the Guidelines to ensure optimum utilization of Traffic Rights, it was agreed that Air India's operational plan would receive due consideration in allocation of the traffic rights and entitlements.

With this, the Services of Air India (AI) and Air India Express (AIE) will increase from 430 services per week during winter 2011 to 471 services per week in summer 2012. These services will include increase of services from 94 to 109 on the Dubai sector, from 39 to 47 in Abu Dhabi sector, from 33 to 49 services in Sharjah sector, from 12 to 21 services in Doha sector and from 42 to 48 services in Saudi Arabia sector. The services of Air India and Air India Express will further increase from 471 services per week in summer 2012 to 577 in winter 2012.

Similarly other Indian schedule airlines have been allocated seats under bilateral agreement to fly on various international routes in summer and winter 2012. Spice Jet will run 98 services per week in summer and additional 90 services per week in winter meaning thereby an addition of 188 services per week in winter 2012. Similarly jet airways has been allocated 102 services per week in summer and additional 98 services per week in winter meaning thereby an addition of 200 services per week in winter 2012 and Indigo has got 84 services per week in summer and 41 services per week in winter totaling to 125 services per week in winter 2012. The private carriers have thus been now allocated a total of 513 services in addition to their existing allocation.

This is a major step taken by Ch. Ajit Singh, the Union Civil Aviation Minister to ameliorate the already stressed sector and to make air travel more affordable to people.