Open skies policy: Flight fights

The postponement of flights by flydubai to India this week comes amid calls by Air India (AI) to the government of India to review its open skies policies and freeze capacity of foreign airlines flying into the nation.
Flights by flydubai have been postponed because of “operational issues”, the budget airline has said.The low-cost carrier halted its inaugural flights this week to Lucknow, Coimbatore and Chandigarh, but said it may resume them in future.
Other Dubai-based carriers are still flying to India.
Media reports cited AI as assembling a Dh11.5 billion bailout request from the government to help it survive. According to the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation, however, the government cannot breach long-standing existing bilateral agreements with foreign airlines to help the ailing AI.
Majid Al Mualla, Vice-President of Emirates airline, West Asia and Indian Ocean, said: “Emirates launched its operations worldwide in 1985 with the start of services to New Delhi and Mumbai. Since then we have been serving India and continue to be strongly committed to it. At present, when many airlines are reducing capacity to India, Emirates is enhancing its operation.”
In May, Emirates added 22 weekly flights to India, taking its total to 185 a week to 10 destinations.
16/07/09 Xpress

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Categories: Foreign Jul 2009, Indian Aviation- In General Jul 2009