The British carrier Virgin Atlantic has urged the operators of Delhi airport to “think very carefully” about the proposed decision to increase tariffs at the airport. The Delhi airport operator has proposed a seven-fold increase in its tariff pointing out that another year at the existing tariff would completely erode its net worth.
“We urge them to think very carefully and make sure that they remain value for money. But at the moment we need to see how it pans out,” Ms Julie Southern, the airlines Chief Commercial Officer, told Business Line .
She added that a sad factor of aviation around the world was the airports were expensive places to operate to. “Very often you are in a position where like in Heathrow there is no other choice you have almost a monopoly provider who is able to raise charges in a way that perhaps is not necessarily linked to the economic reality of the world around them,” she pointed out.
Virgin, however, plans to continue flying to Delhi and says that flying back into Mumbai was something that remains of interest.
“There is a really strong commitment to serve the Indian market. When you sit in the UK where you have flat economic growth and then you look at India and see growth of 8 per cent or more, why on earth will we be ignoring this market. It will be madness,” Ms Southern said.