A'bad loses 8 air links as plane fuel cost takes off

The rising price of aviation fuel is likely to ground an increasing number of Amdavadi jet-setters who like to swoosh over humble trains.
At least eight flights have been yanked out of the Ahmedabad airport over the past two months, putting it in the league of airports squeezed hardest by the increase in the cost of aviation turbine fuel (ATF).
The eighth air-link was lost last week when JetLite discontinued its Ahmedabad-Jaipur flight.
The Ahmedabad airport offers connections to 11 cities in India, through eight domestic airlines and an average daily flight count of 44. Therefore, the loss of eight flights will certainly disrupt air-travel plans. Towards the beginning of 2008, Ahmedabad was all set to become one of the busiest aviation hubs in India. In 2007, the city airport recorded a growth of 32.4% in aircraft movement and 20.8% in passenger traffic. In fact, Ahmedabad's aircraft movement growth was 25% higher than the national average. At that point, the city connected 17 cities, and transferred more than 4,800 passengers every day.
The aviation industry blames the decline on skyrocketing ATF prices and the subsequent rise in the price of tickets. Most airlines have raised or plan to raise their fuel surcharge by 10% to 15%. 19/06/08 Sandeep Bhardwaj/ DNA MONEY

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Categories: Airports Jun 2008