As AI drops Frankfurt as hub, other centres serenade the airline

New Delhi: A financially beleaguered Air India is still hot enough for countries in Europe and the Middle East to seek to be its new operational hub. The Frankfurt airport, currently the hub for the national carrier's America operations, will cease to play this role with the start of the winter schedule on October 29.
Top airline sources said close to a dozen letters had been received from European and Middle Eastern countries offering hub services.
In fact, Dubai is said to have offered AI its Al Maktoum International Airport as an "overseas base" where the airline can station its engineering and technical staff. The airport, touted to be the world's largest when completed, is scheduled to begin commercial passenger operations next March.
Some European countries have even offered "exclusive dedicated terminals" at their airports if AI chooses them.
As per a presentation made before the company's board on July 25, AI plans to gradually move to being a "hub carrier" with Delhi airport's Terminal 3 as its primary operational hub, Mumbai as the secondary hub and smaller hubs within and outside India.
01/08/10 Tushar Srivastava/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Air India - International Aug 2010, NACIL Aug 2010