The government has informed Indian carriers that it will allocate foreign flying rights to this year’s winter schedule, beginning at the end of October, based on how much of their available capacity was utilised during the just-completed winter season. As the government places pressure on airlines to boost frequency and stop rising ticket prices, this raises the possibility that some airlines’ flight quotas will be reduced. At the meeting conducted in the second week of March, the government informed the carriers of this. Major Indian airlines, who object to any decrease in the number of their flights, are resisting the move.
As the government places pressure on airlines to boost frequency and stop rising ticket prices
Major international airlines from the Middle East have requested an increase in their ticket quota, which is why this dispute has arisen. Furthermore, Akasa Air is having difficulties securing the right to fly to well-known locations like Sharjah, Dubai, and Thailand as it develops its foreign flight schedule. According to a regulation, traffic rights assigned to an airline will revert back to the pool and be distributed again after six months if it is unable to use them. That rule is something the ministry intends to strictly enforce.
The officials acknowledged that Akasa Air had made requests to acquire the rights that had been unused. “Due to poor financial situations, some Indian airlines are unable to utilise the international flying rights allocated to them,” the officials stated. Usually, twice a year, the government creates schedules and assigns frequencies to carriers. Every year, the deadlines for airlines to submit applications for flying privileges are 31 March and 30 September for flights scheduled for the forthcoming winter and summer seasons, respectively. The summer season runs from the final Sunday in March through the final Saturday in March. On March 25, the current winter schedule came to an end.
Akasa Air is having difficulties securing the right to fly to well-known locations like Sharjah, Dubai, and Thailand
Previously, Indian airlines had to have a fleet of 20 aircraft and five years of operational expertise in order to fly internationally. However, this requirement was removed in 2017. According to Akasa Air’s CEO, the airline has operated for 7 months, has 20 aircraft, and plans to begin foreign flights by the end of the year.
Major Indian airlines disagreed with the direction given by the government, claiming they needed more time to use the rights. Air India, Indigo, SpiceJet, and Go, collectively known as the FIA (Federation of Indian Airlines), wrote the civil aviation minister last week requesting an additional year to use the rights. Even now, the country is battling problems such as visa delays and major supply chain disruptions, which have caused airlines to postpone the introduction of new aircraft.
