Air traffic likely to soar as regular foreign flights take wing after 2 yrs

Development marks end of air bubbles which came into being in mid-2020. Over 115,000 passengers flew in and out of India on 667 flights under this mechanism on Saturday

Indian skies opened up again for scheduled international flights on Sunday, after a gap of two years, bringing more travel options for passengers and better revenue opportunities for airlines struggling with high fuel prices.

Mumbai will have direct flights to Poland and Vietnam for the first time, while Delhi shall reconnect with Nairobi in Kenya after eight years. Passenger flights to Egypt, Malaysia, and Turkey are also being restored in the summer schedule, which was approved on Saturday.

The start of scheduled international passenger flights marks the end of air transport bubbles, which came into effect in mid-2020. Over 115,000 passengers flew in/out of India on 667 flights under the air transport bubble on Saturday. While these were also scheduled flights, there were restrictions on sale to onward destinations. These curbs end now, giving passengers options to connect via hubs.

Six Indian and 60 foreign carriers have secured approval to operate around 930 flights daily to over 40 countries. This is around 22.5 per cent less than the figure during the pre-Covid period. In the winter schedule of 2019, airlines operated around 1200 flights to/from India daily. The number of foreign carriers and destinations has dropped, too. 

Before the pandemic, 86 foreign airlines had the approval to operate in India. The number of countries linked by Indian and foreign carriers was over 55 in the winter schedule of 2019. Destination countries/regions that have been dropped or yet to receive approvals include China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Taiwan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Austria, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine.

Connectivity with Russia has not been affected. Aeroflot has received permission to operate six flights to Delhi, while Air India is seeking a nod to start the Mumbai-Moscow flight.

Airports expect a gradual ramp-up in flights but they are nonetheless geared to handle the extra volume by making the transit process smoother.

Both Mumbai and Delhi airports have also requested the government to deploy adequate staff at immigration counters. The Central Industrial Security Force will also deploy maximum resources during peak hours to avoid congestion.

According to Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the number of daily international flights is likely to increase from 165 to 300. In the first week of April, it is expecting 185-190 flights -- 66 per cent of the pre-Covid figure.

At Mumbai airport, the number of daily flights is expected to increase from 234 in January 2020 to 238 in the current summer schedule. Under the air transport bubble, Mumbai handled around 98 international flights daily and on Sunday, it expected to see around 150 flights. Mumbai is getting connected to Helsinki in Finland again, after 2019.

IndiGo will have the largest number of departures per week (505) airlines, followed by Air India (361) and Air India Express (340). Among foreign carriers, Emirates will have the highest number of flights per week (170), followed by Sri Lankan Airlines (128), and Oman Air (115).

IndiGo will operate flights on 150 routes -- covering 15 destinations now -- and add flights to Muscat, Kuala Lumpur, and Istanbul in May and June. It is also offering discounted fares to popular destinations.

American Airlines said it looks forward to expanding its presence in the country as it deepens partnership with IndiGo, and plans to launch a new service between Seattle and Bengaluru later this year.

Air India is increasing frequencies to New York and San Francisco in the US and is planning daily frequencies to Australia. It has also ramped up flights to London from 28 to 33 per week.

Dubai-based Emirates has restored its pre-pandemic frequency to 170 flights per week. But some foreign carriers are still cautious. “We will assess demand before we add flights. Fares will drop if too much capacity gets added at once. We will wait and watch,” said the India head of a foreign airline.

"Our teams are actively reviewing our flying schedule for the next three months, and will resume operations to the country in a progressive manner," said Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific in a statement.

Travel companies are optimistic about sustained demand. “We are witnessing a definitive uptick from our corporate/business travel segment and our business has doubled month on month since January,” said Indiver Rastogi, president and group head (global business travel), Thomas Cook India and SOTC.