Delayed ticket to Oz makes AI lose out on winter traffic

New Delhi: After a series of flip flops, state-owned Air India has been granted permission to fly to Melbourne by civil aviation ministry recently, sources in the airline said. However, delays in granting route clearance has dented the timing and thrown a wet blanket over the carrier’s marketing strategy, claimed airline sources. “The ministry has approved the route too late in the day. And we have already missed the peak winter season,” said an airline source.
Any route needs at least three months’ time to be logged into the Global Distibution Systems which markets it and sells the tickets. “Typically, international leisure travel is planned months in advance and bookings done much before. In this case, Air India has missed the load factors,” said the source.
Air India had made a strong pitch for the Delhi-Melbourne sector, and had even announced its plans in June to launch a non-stop flight in November this year, but the plan was hanging fire after the ministry reportedly twice rejected the proposal in as many months.
26/10/10 Smita Aggarwal/Indian Express

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Categories: Air India - International Oct 2010, Foreign Oct 2010, NACIL Oct 2010