The Hindu Business Line : India, Germany agree to increase air connectivity

FLIGHTS between India and Germany are set to more than double in a phased manner in the near future with the two countries agreeing on Wednesday to allow their designated carriers up to 50 flights a week either way. These airlines have also been allowed to fly onwards to a third country.

Moreover, airlines from Germany have been allowed to operate to Kochi, Hyderabad and Goa, while specified airlines from India will be allowed to operate to three more cities in Germany. India is, however, yet to specify the three German cities to which its airlines would like to start flying.

This was agreed to at the conclusion of bilateral air services talks between India and Germany here. At present, while Air India operates 14 flights a week to Frankfurt, the German airline Lufthansa operates 32 flights a week to Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai from Frankfurt and Munich.

The latest air services agreement allows the airlines to increase the frequency of flights to 42 a week in each direction from the forthcoming winter schedule, which starts from end October. The number of flights operated by the designated airlines of the two countries can reach 50 flights a week in each direction from the summer schedule of next year which will start from the end of March next year.

The agreement allows designated airlines of Germany to operate a maximum of 20 flights a week to and through Delhi in a phased manner ending winter 2006-07. In addition, the designated German airlines will be allowed to operate a daily flight to other designated destinations in India.

Besides, the permission given to Lufthansa to operate five additional flights — two to Bangalore and three to Hyderabad — on a provisional basis till May 31 has been extended till the end of October.

The agreement should prove a boon for AI, which is keen to increase the number of flights that it operates from India to the US through Germany. The private sector airlines from India as also Indian Airlines could also benefit from the agreement.

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