Fly abroad from smaller cities more easily

The aviation ministry has granted an additional 15,000 seats-a-week to Indian carriers operating to popular tourist and business destinations in the Gulf and Southeast Asia. Taking off

The aviation ministry has granted an additional 15,000 seats-a-week to Indian carriers operating to popular tourist and business destinations in the Gulf and Southeast Asia.

To improve international connectivity, airlines will be connecting these destinations from smaller cities like Lucknow, Chandigarh, Madurai, Mangalore, Trivandrum, Hyderabad and Bagdogra.

“Indian carriers, especially low-cost (LCCs), plan to aggressively pursue regional international operations,” said Kapil Kaul, South Asia CEO of aviation consultancy firm Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa).

Capa Outlook (for 2013-14) had estimated that international operations of LCCs are proving to be more viable than domestic operations especially for loss making LCCs.

As per the ministry’s communication, IndiGo will operate services on the Chandigharh-Dubai and Lucknow-Dubai sectors. Jet Airways has been allowed to operate seven weekly services on the Cochin-Dubai sector.

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet will operate services on the Chandigarh-Dubai, Madurai-Dubai, Mangalore-Riyadh, Mangalore-Dammam, Trivandrum-Dammam, Hyderabad-Dammam, Bangalore-Singapore, Kolkata-Guangzhou, Madurai-Kuala Lumpur and Bagdogra-Kathmandu sectors.