India, with a population of nearly 1.5 billion, is experiencing growing demand for international travel. | Photo credit: B. Velankanni Raj
The pace of growth in the Indian aviation market must be matched by capacity, and increased competition will provide consumers with greater choice, said Emirates Airline vice president and chief commercial officer Adnan Kazim, advocating for increased bilateral rights to fly between Dubai and India.
Regarding whether Emirates is looking for partners in India, Kazim said they are open to any future collaborations if the Indian airline has the appetite for this type of dialogue and engagement.
He said that for a full-service carrier, India is a prime market and today’s demand exceeds the current capacity offered in the country.
The airline currently operates direct flights from Dubai to nine Indian cities.
Over the years, the airline has sought to expand bilateral rights between the two countries, which currently stand at 65,000 seats per week, to be able to offer more capacity to meet growing travel demand.
“India has always remained an crucial market for Emirates. There is powerful demand there with the 171 weekly flights we operate between India and Dubai, connecting nine points. The demand is very high and as a market (India), (demand) is not related to seasons or festivals…,” said Mr. Kazim, who is the Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).
In an interview with PTI in Dubai this week, he said more airlines opening and ordering wide-body planes for long-haul flights in India are good aspects that will provide consumers with more options and choices.
He stressed that India, which has a population of nearly 1.5 billion, is experiencing growing demand for international travel, which needs to be met by increasing capacity.
“We must keep in mind the pace of development of Indian aviation and the escalate in capacity that needs to be matched,” he said.
Currently, bilateral air rights allow Dubai-based carriers Emirates and Flydubai to serve 65,000 seats a week to India.
Similarly, Indian airlines can serve 65,000 seats to Dubai per week.
Flight rights on both sides are fully utilized, with the last upward revision in seat numbers taking place in 2015.
Emirates flies to Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram and Ahmedabad. Indian carriers – Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Vistara – operate flights to Dubai.
Speaking on the sidelines of IATA’s annual general meeting this week, Kazim also said the decision on bilateral air rights had been taken between the governments of India and the United Arab Emirates.
“I am looking at it from the point of view of the powerful and strategic relationship between India and the UAE… we have to be positive,” he added.
“We have solid engagement and dialogue with many entities in India. We are quite satisfied and elated with the support we are receiving from all stakeholders in India,” he said.
The airline has an interline agreement with SpiceJet.
India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets in the world, and the country’s airlines are expanding their operations and fleet to meet growing traffic demand.
“Competition is welcome. There are over 100 airlines operating in Dubai and there is freedom to travel from anywhere to anywhere… Dubai’s ecosystem is based on cooperation with various entities and working together,” Mr. Kazim said.
According to him, one airline cannot cover the entire world and stressed the need for partnership and cooperation.
“That’s why today, even though we have over 140 stations, we have 150 airlines with which we have interline or codeshare agreements. That’s the kind of stability we’re creating for ourselves today in terms of going into smaller markets and domains and creating options,” Kazim said.
