(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)Air India India's national airline is looking to consolidate its position by increasing seat capacity on existing routes says a top official of the carrier in the Middle East.
The airline is planning to launch its flagship aircraft the Dreamliner on routes connecting Middle East cities to Mumbai and possibly add one more to Delhi routes. "We are looking at consolidating existing routes maybe in terms of added capacity. For instance Air India is operating A320 on a number of routes; we might go for a bigger aircraft. There are some flights we are operating once a day and might look to increase the frequency. Besides there will be new launches as well" Melwin D'Silva regional manager of Gulf Middle East and Africa told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of Air India Express' inaugural flight from Sharjah to Varanasi launched on Monday. Air India Express a fully owned subsidiary of Air India Ltd is the first carrier in the region to connect Middle East with Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with a non-stop direct flight. It will operate on Mondays Thursdays and Saturdays from the Sharjah International Airport. Varanasi is a holy city in north India frequented by travellers for its religious significance and leisure activities. It features among the top 25 cities to visit in India by Tripadvisor. The airline is offering inaugural fares and free baggage of 35kg up to September 15. Air India is among a handful of national carriers globally that have turned the tables on operational costs and revenue. After financial restructuring at the turn of this decade the aviation behemoth has been growing in size and revenue on a year-on-year basis. Air India has slashed its operating losses by 40 per cent. Consequently its revenues have jumped 20 per cent compared to last year. The national carrier operates the widest network in India connecting international destinations to metros and the hinterland. As on July 30 Air India flies to 35 international destinations (12 in the Middle East) and 64 in India. It commands almost one-fifth of the market share in India. The combined operations of Air India and Air India Express are the largest in terms of passengers and flights between the Middle East and India. -
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