Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways see 70% India flyers transit at hubs

This raises govt concerns over undercutting Indian carriers' international plans

A substantial portion — over 70 per cent — of passengers flying on Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways flights connected to India utilised the airlines’ hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha as transit points for travel between India and third countries in February this year, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium’s data reviewed by Business Standard.
 

This substantial share of ‘sixth freedom’ traffic, referring to passengers using an airline’s home hub to travel between two other nations, involving India has raised concerns within the Indian government.

Officials believe this passenger flow impedes the growth of long-haul and ultra-long-haul international