Aluva: The failure to accord hub status to the Cochin International Airport, which is fourth largest in the country in terms of international traffic volume, is likely to shatter dreams of several NRKs scrimping their salaries for a journey back home.
Currently, New Delhi and Mumbai are considered international gateways and all IATA fares to and from foreign nations are decided with them as the origin points. The draft civil aviation policy which has proposed a hub and spoke development model has proposed Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad as hubs.
“Going by the draft policy, the cost of air travel is likely to go up for the 60-lakh-strong NRKs, most of who harbour hope of returning to their homeland at least once in three years,” said Ismayael Rawther, NoRKA Roots Director.
Travel industry sources said while Mumbai and Cochin are ‘online’ points for most major carriers across the world, only Gulf carriers treat CIAL as one. “This means that the airlines from Gulf nations consider the airport as a hub,” said Poulose K Mathew, chairman of the Kerala chapter of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI).
19/01/15 Vaisakh E Hari/New Indian Express
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Currently, New Delhi and Mumbai are considered international gateways and all IATA fares to and from foreign nations are decided with them as the origin points. The draft civil aviation policy which has proposed a hub and spoke development model has proposed Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad as hubs.
“Going by the draft policy, the cost of air travel is likely to go up for the 60-lakh-strong NRKs, most of who harbour hope of returning to their homeland at least once in three years,” said Ismayael Rawther, NoRKA Roots Director.
Travel industry sources said while Mumbai and Cochin are ‘online’ points for most major carriers across the world, only Gulf carriers treat CIAL as one. “This means that the airlines from Gulf nations consider the airport as a hub,” said Poulose K Mathew, chairman of the Kerala chapter of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI).
19/01/15 Vaisakh E Hari/New Indian Express
