SpiceJet, which currently flies to Guangzhou from Delhi, will add three destinations in China this year, CEO Neil Mills has told Bloomberg.
The carrier also plans to shift towards international routes, to triple their contribution to revenue up to 20% over the next 18 months, he said.
SpiceJet may fly to CIS nations and start flights to Thailand, Mills told Bloomberg.
Despite withdrawing an application to fly to Abu Dhabi, SpiceJet aims to fly more Middle East routes, he added.
But, as few flights now connect China and India, this market represents a clear opportunity, he added.
"You’ve got over a third of the world’s population in two countries that sit side by side, but they are almost not connected by air," he told Bloomberg.
Overseas flights could help pull SpiceJet back into the black through dollar earnings and savings in fuel costs from avoiding heavy taxes in India.
Although China is India’s second-largest trading partner, only 142,000 Chinese nationals visited India in 2011, according to Indian Ministry of Tourism figures.
26/04/13 Routes News
