After government's pressure, SpiceJet gets more slots at Dubai

NEW DELHI: India’s insistence on better and more flight slots for its carriers in Dubai’s airport for increasing the seat capacity between the Emirate and India seems to be yielding results.

SpiceJet has informed the civil aviation ministry that it got slots equalling 5,500 weekly seats at Dubai airport. This has come even before the two governments agreed to an increase in flying rights between them.

“They have informed us that they have slots. The airline, however, cannot start flights because our carriers have exhausted the current seat quota and would require an increase in bilateral seat entitlements before SpiceJet could utilise these slots,” said an aviation ministry official, who did not want to be named.


SpiceJet, which already operates some flights to Dubai, did not respond to an email seeking comment. Sources in the airline, however, confirmed to ET that it has written to the ministry on the allocation of extra slots in Dubai.

The current bilateral flying rights allow carriers from each side operate 65,000 seats a week and they have exhausted the entitlements. To agree on any increase the seat capacity, the Narendra Modi government wants Dubai to ensure slots for Indian carriers at the Emirate’s airport.

The aviation ministry had written to Dubai authorities, asking them to ensure slots for Indian airlines before agreeing on increasing the entitlements.