Airlines seek more slots for summer flights

New Delhi: Despite facing poor passenger load factors, domestic airlines have sought more slots at busy Indian airports for the summer schedule (effective from March 29) to add nearly 10% more flights.
For instance, Delhi currently handles up to 650 flights a day. According to sources, in meetings with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), airlines have asked for more flights that could take the daily figure to nearly 730. Similarly, Mumbai which currently handles up to 680 flights daily, has seen request for more slots that could take the figure to 710.
The airport operators, ministry and Directorate General of Civil Aviation officials finalising the summer schedule feel that airlines are unlikely to actually operate flights on all the slots they are asking for.
The trend during this slowdown has been that airlines usually don’t cancel peak hour slots. Instead they will some day merge their 8 am flight from Mumbai to Delhi with a 7 am one or with 9 am one.
However, airlines are almost certain to get more slots in Delhi even if they don’t use them as IGI has got a new runway that has increased the hourly flight handling capacity. Earlier with two runway, slots were given by estimating an hourly flight handling capacity at close to 40. Now with three airstrips, the capacity has gone up to 55.
09/03/09 Saurabh Sinha/Economic Times

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Categories: Airports Mar 2009, Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2009