Airlines plan more flights despite surge in fuel prices

New Delhi: Indian carriers are increasing the number of flights this summer at the fastest rate since 2007, despite the surge in global crude oil prices.
The Indian domestic passenger market grew 18% last year and has continued to expand at double digits in the first three months of 2011, allowing airlines to bet on the coming peak season despite higher fuel prices, airline executives said.
Weekly flights are expected to increase by 14% this summer, with 12,700 departures every week from end-March to October.
“Overall we are seeing a 14% jump. This is a big increase since the downturn in 2008,” said a government official who did not want to be named. “The total number of cities connected will remain at about 83.”
Air India Ltd is increasing its daily domestic flights from 320 to 348-50, with new flights to Kulu and additional flights to Hyderabad, Imphal, Bangalore and Dehradun.
“This is because of growing traffic and to improve connectivity,” said an Air India spokesman.
SpiceJet Ltd plans to add 11 aircraft to its fleet of 25 between now and October—five Boeing 737s and six short-haul Q400s. By May its daily flights will climb from 167 in the winter to 204 in summer.
“And we are not even talking about the Q400s,” said its chief commercial officer Samyukth Sridharan. The Q400s are scheduled to launch the airlines regional operations. Each Q400 can do nine flights a day.
Jet Airways (India) Ltd said it will develop Hyderabad as a “mini hub” with the introduction of 15 new flights from 27 March, connecting Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, Jaipur and Nagpur.
30/03/11 Tarun Shukla/Live Mint

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2011