New Delhi: At a time when most airlines have cast a weary eye towards expansion, West Asian airline Emirates is expanding its presence in the US as it looks to tap into the growing traffic between India and that country.
India has gained centre stage in the carriers' plans as it is among the top 20 traffic generating countries in the world. In 2011, outbound traffic from India to the US was around 0.6 million while from US to India was 0.9 million, and it is rising at around 16 per cent annually, according to data from the office of Travel and Tourism Industries in the US.
The traffic from India has been climbing even as globally it has been on a downward spiral because of high fuel prices and the economic slowdown. The airline says the US continues to be a popular destination among students and corporate heads.
This offers a huge opportunity for Emirates, which already enjoys a leadership position among foreign carriers in India with around 13 per cent of the market share when it comes to outbound traffic. Besides, with the US under-represented in the portfolio of West Asian carriers, it is also an opportunity for Emirates to expand its presence in the US and leverage its popularity among Indians flying abroad.
20/12/12 Disha Kanwar/Business Standard
