BA has confidence in India

London: While not negotiating for a stake in Kingfisher Airlines, British Airways is still bullish about its prospects for India, its second-largest international market outside the US.
It plans to continue to boost capacity into India despite cutting routes globally, reports the Economic Times of India. BA had been mentioned as one of several potential suitors eyeing a stake in Kingfisher, including Virgin and Singapore Airlines.
"We normally don't comment on speculation, but no, we're not in any talks with Kingfisher," BA chief executive Willie Walsh told ET in an interview in London before the airline launched a direct London-Hyderabad route. "In fact, the last time I met [Kingfisher chairman] Vijay Mallya was certainly more than a year ago."
In an earlier ET interview, Mallya said he had received several expressions of interest from foreign airlines to pick up a stake, but did not name any suitor.
Walsh said he hoped to increase BA's capacity into India from the 40-odd weekly flights it runs now, even though the carrier has vowed to slash 1% of its global routes next year.
Walsh already has three deals in the pipeline for BA – a proposed merger with Qantas and Spain's Iberia, and a commercial joint venture with American Airlines, on the lines of the Star Alliance.
07/12/08 Aviation Record, Australia

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Categories: Foreign Dec 2008