Foreign carriers increased Indian services by 85 pc in 5 years

NEW DELHI: Foreign airlines have increased their number of flights by 85 per cent per week to and from India in the last five years, while the international passenger traffic jumped 90 per cent in the same period.

In the summer of 2004, foreign carriers operated 711 flights per week to and from India which was increased to 1,315 services per week by the summer of 2009. The number of passengers has risen from around 14 million to 27 million to and from India in that period, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Traffic rights for operation of international air services are specified in Bilateral Air Services Agreements concluded with the various foreign countries and is part of an on-going process, depending upon traffic demand, balance of benefit to Indian carriers, overall interest of Indian economy together with diplomatic and political considerations.

These agreements are based on the principles of sovereignty of nations and reciprocity, in which a balance of opportunities and benefits are paramount.

Liberal exchange of traffic rights has helped in adding capacity on international routes for benefit of the traveling public and also opening up commercial opportunities for Indian carriers.