Qatar Airways, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, has sought more traffic routes and seats from India to serve two-tier cities, a top airline official has said.
Akbar-Al-Baker, the Chief Executive Officer told the PTI yesterday that Qatar Airways has exhausted all the traffic routes allotted by the Government of India.
He was here on the sidelines of “Educate a child”, a global education program sponsored by the airline and Jazz@ Lincoln Center, New York.
“We hope Indian Civil Aviation authorities will give additional access to other Gulf carriers in India and if that happens we would like to operate more flights.
We would like to operate more flights out of India to cater to the demands of global traffic,” Al-Baker said
He said India is a country with 1.3 billion people and has the highest number of affluent and educated middle class. It has economic prosperity and large number of people travels overseas.
“We would love to serve more Indians in their travel needs. I am willing to take any number of seats offered to Qatar Airways. Sky is the limit,” he said.
India’s annual airline passengers, both domestic and international, number only 160 million.
The Center for Aviation predicts that number will nearly triple to 450 million by 2020.
Answering questions on Ethihad Airways picking up 24 percent stake of Jet Airways for $ 379 million, the first foreign investment in an Indian airline since India eased restrictions on aviation deals, Al-Baker said Qatar Airways has no such plans to enter into any arrangement the moment in India and is watching the market.
“We are only requesting the Government of India to give us additional flying rights taking into consideration the growing air traffic and have no other plans in that country.”
Al-Baker, who has been Qatar Airways CEO for 15 years and led the airline to become one of the fastest growing in the world to fly 125 international destinations with a fleet of 120 aircraft, had his education in India.
“I have India connections. I studied in India and am very happy and proud to get that opportunity. You can see the results of what Indian education is bringing to Qatar Airways,” he said.
The West Asian airlines, in a bid to strengthen their foothold in the Indian markets are seeking nearly 1, 50,000 additional seats per week from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, according to Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), a global aviation consulting firm.
CAPA estimates that the market will open up further and there will be more penetration to the Tier-II cities in India.