Low-cost airlines may get more peak-time slots in metros

New Delhi: Low-cost carriers may soon pull a large number of corporate customers away from the full-service carriers. The civil aviation ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are planning to award the low-cost carriers some key morning and evening peak-time slots (a fixed time for departure or arrival of a particular flight) lying unused with the full-service carriers at metro airports like Delhi and Mumbai.
DGCA officials and airline officials confirm that airlines like Jet and Kingfisher are not using around 10 per cent of their slots during the peak periods.
Slots are given to airlines for all airports collectively and on a six-month basis (summer and winter schedules). Each airline puts in its request for slots, which are then decided by the DGCA, civil aviation ministry and the airport operator. The award of slots usually follows a historical trend wherein an airline retains the slots it had operated in the previous schedule.
Both Delhi and Mumbai handle 550 flight movements each daily, with around 140-160 prime-time departure slots and an equal number of arrival slots.
A low-cost airline executive also said that airport executives of both Mumbai and Delhi airports had unofficially informed them that there were slots in both airports that were lying unused.
12/01/09 MSN

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: Airports Jan 2009, Low Cost General Jan 2009