Aviation Ministry grants new rights to Indian carriers

In a major move to expand international air travel out of India, the Civil Aviation Ministry Friday approved traffic rights for the summer and winter season of 2013 in one go, granting new rights to Indian carriers to fly to several new destinations across the globe.

The new cities include Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Sydney, Melbourne, Nairobi, Al Najaf (Iraq), Moscow, Zurich, Macau, Tashkent and Ho Chi Minh City.

Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh also directed holding of fresh bilateral negotiations to enhance air traffic rights with countries like those in the Gulf and Southeast Asia, with whom the existing rights have almost got exhausted, an official spokesperson said.

These countries include Singapore, Thailand, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Macao and Afghanistan.

Air India and its no-frill subsidiary Air India Express have their number of flights enhanced from 471 in 2012 summer to 650 in 2013 summer and from 577 in 2012 winter to 691

in the same season next year.

Air India also has the rights for the first time to fly on sectors like Delhi-Rome-Madrid/Barcelona, Delhi-Moscow, Delhi-Sydney/Melbourne, Mumbai-Nairobi and Mumbai-Al Najaf.

Similarly, Jet Airways has been given the rights to operate on routes like Mumbai-Jakarta, Delhi-Barcelona, Mumbai-Zurich, Delhi-Tashkent and Mumbai-Ho Chi Minh City.

The number of its flights has gone up from 417 in 2012 summer to 539 in 2013 and 497 this winter to 602 in 2013.

No-frill carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet also have enhanced number of flights, with the latter being allowed to fly on Lucknow-Al Najaf, Varanasi-Al Najaf, Delhi-Macau and Delhi-Ho Chi Minh City.

While welcoming the move, industry sources it was an unprecedented measure as flight schedules for winter and summer seasons have so far been approved each year and not in one go.