Mumbai: Qatar Airways flies to 12 Indian cities, more than its peers in the Gulf, and its hub in Doha competes with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah for traffic. Qatar Airways' growth in India has, however, been hit, as the Indian government has not revised bilateral seat entitlements, despite Qatar's requests. Chief executive Akbar Al Baker, in an email interview with Aneesh Phadnis, talks about the airline's growth plans in India. Edited excerpts:
How does Qatar Airways plan to expand in India? Does it plan to open new routes such as those to Lucknow and Jaipur, or add capacity to existing routes?
Since 2004, when Qatar Airways flew to only four cities in India, the airline has increased capacity and destinations across the country to 12 cities, with overall frequency of 95 passenger flights and 15 freight services a week.
India is growing as an economic hub and shows enormous potential. As the Indian aviation sector prepares for its next phase, it will witness increasing demand from new metro cities and this increasing demand from tier-II markets will be a key growth driver for the sector.
This is one of the major reasons we have daily connections to Amritsar, Goa, Kochi and Ahmedabad. In keeping with our aggressive growth plans, we will continue to introduce new routes in the coming months.
The International Air Transport Association and international airlines operating to India have criticised the high tariffs and taxes on aviation fuel here. What policy changes do you want to see in India? Will those be necessary before you invest in India?
The Indian aviation sector needs to look at growing airport infrastructure and modernise air space management for better utilisation of airport capacity. It is extremely important for India to have a strong aviation regulator to ensure airport charges are capped for growth in the aviation market. This is important not only for foreign carriers, but more so for Indian carriers. A strong regulator is crucial for passengers, as well as operators.
26/04/14 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard
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How does Qatar Airways plan to expand in India? Does it plan to open new routes such as those to Lucknow and Jaipur, or add capacity to existing routes?
Since 2004, when Qatar Airways flew to only four cities in India, the airline has increased capacity and destinations across the country to 12 cities, with overall frequency of 95 passenger flights and 15 freight services a week.
India is growing as an economic hub and shows enormous potential. As the Indian aviation sector prepares for its next phase, it will witness increasing demand from new metro cities and this increasing demand from tier-II markets will be a key growth driver for the sector.
This is one of the major reasons we have daily connections to Amritsar, Goa, Kochi and Ahmedabad. In keeping with our aggressive growth plans, we will continue to introduce new routes in the coming months.
The International Air Transport Association and international airlines operating to India have criticised the high tariffs and taxes on aviation fuel here. What policy changes do you want to see in India? Will those be necessary before you invest in India?
The Indian aviation sector needs to look at growing airport infrastructure and modernise air space management for better utilisation of airport capacity. It is extremely important for India to have a strong aviation regulator to ensure airport charges are capped for growth in the aviation market. This is important not only for foreign carriers, but more so for Indian carriers. A strong regulator is crucial for passengers, as well as operators.
26/04/14 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard
