New Delhi: More travel options and lower fares await air passengers after the government yesterday allowed Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, to fly into the country.
The civil aviation ministry lifted the ban imposed in 2008 on the ground that operation of A380s could work against the interest of Indian carriers.
Industry insiders said not just passengers, but airport operators also are expected to benefit from the revocation of the ban on Airbus A380s’ operations in India. It is expected that A380s operations will increase airport revenues and help in decongestion during the peak travel season.
“A380s will help bring down fares and improve the cost competitiveness of the Indian tourism sector. They will improve the efficiency and capacity utilisation at Indian airports,” Amber Dubey, partner and head - aerospace and defence, KPMG, said.
The super jumbo which can accommodate up to 853 in a single-class configuration is expected to increase the parking, housing and landing (PHL) component of airport’s operators’ revenues.
“The decision (to allow A380 operations) is positive for the industry, especially for airports which have limited slots. Mumbai, which has a space constraint, will benefit from this move,” Ankur Bhatia, member, Confederation of Indian Industry’s panel on civil aviation, said. Other industry insiders said the move will allow the formation of a new marketing and seat pricing category in the Indian market.
Major international passenger carriers such as Singapore Airline, Emirates and Lufthansa have shown interest in operating A380 aircraft in India on various international routes. At present only four airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore — have the required infrastructure for handling A380 operations.
IANS
