New Delhi: As Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad's access to the Indian market multiplies by fourfold as part of its equity deal with Jet Airways, national carrier Air India's worst fears have come true.
The carrier feels that more foreign airlines will use this as a precedent to aggressively lobby for increasing their presence in the Indian market.
According to Air India's chairman and managing director (CMD) Rohit Nandan, Dubai carrier Emirates, which has swept away a lion's share of outbound traffic from India, thanks to a similar increase in access a few years ago, will soon come knocking at the door asking for an increase in the number of flights. "What has happened has happened , but we want to bring it to the government's notice that this should not be repeated. We are apprehensive that Emirates and other foreign carriers may push for more air capacity," Nandan told ET.
In the backdrop of the financial deal between Naresh Goyal-owned Jet Airways and Abu Dhabi's national carrier Etihad, the two regions decided to revise air capacity upwards by 36,670 seats per week from the existing 13,300 seats per week, sparking concerns among the local airlines and private airports.
26/04/13 Anindya Upadhyay/Economic Times
