Carriers in India have begun to reopen bookings for domestic flights after the government started to ease travel restrictions that have been in place for the past two months.
Delta Air Lines will serve Mumbai from New York John F Kennedy, rather than Atlanta, as it seeks to re-establish itself in the fast-growing Indian market. The planned launch comes despite the suspension of services by Jet Airways, which would have provided feeder traffic.
The number of domestic departure seats in India is set to top 165 million this year, with such “unprecedented” growth driving the need for more than 2,300 new jets over the next two decades.
India plans to spend $60bn over the next 15 years to expand its airport infrastructure as growth forecasts indicate a trebling of passenger demand by 2037. The country’s government is also working on a relief package for struggling carriers.
Indian carrier Jet Airways is planning to grow its domestic presence over the coming months as it seeks to revive its fortunes. Separately, the Indian government has published draft proposals to extend its UDAN regional air connectivity scheme to international routes.
India’s government has admitted it is open to selling its entire stake in loss-making flag carrier Air India after its recent attempt failed to attract any buyers.
US carrier Delta Air Lines claims that its planned return to India is because of agreements over three of its Middle Eastern rivals' practices. However, analysis of the market suggest there are bigger factors at play.
WOW air is adding India to its route network later this year as the low-cost carrier seeks to use Iceland as a connecting hub for traffic between Asia and North America. Routesonline looks at the rapid growth of the airline and why India is a focus for expansion.
