Mumbai-Delhi air corridor sixth busiest: Survey

New Delhi: The Mumbai-Delhi air corridor has emerged as one of the busiest in the world. According to Mumbai International Airport (P) Ltd, a survey done last year showed it was the sixth busiest corridor. The list was led by Barcelona-Madrid, Sao Paulo-Rio, Jeju-Seoul, Sydney-Melbourne and Cape Town-Johannesburg sectors.
"This survey was conducted by an international organisation, Official Airlines Guide, in late 2007. There are 53 daily flights between Delhi and Mumbai," said Manish Kalghadgi, spokesperson for GVK Group-developed Mumbai airport.
Interestingly, this fact is now being used to take some pressure off the Mumbai airport as it is already running to capacity and a big question mark hangs over the second much-required one that has to come up five years later.
Airlines already find it hard to get a new slot for a flight to and from Mumbai. MIAL has 'suggested' to the aviation ministry that instead of 53 daily flights of medium-size planes like A-320 or Boeing 737, airlines be asked to operate fewer flights of bigger twin aisle planes like the A-330, A-340, Boeing 777 and even the Jumbo.
Clearly, Mumbai airport is keen to handle more flights as airlines find it hard to get any new slot either to or from the financial capital. But airlines down buy this argument.
26/03/08 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Mar 2008