The Hindu Business Line : Flying to India makes good biz sense

Mr Subhas Menon, Regional Vice-President, West Asia and Africa, Singapore Airlines, told Business Line that “it would seem that India marches to a different drum beat from the rest of the world. India, it would appear, remains largely insulated from happenings in different parts of the globe.”

For Singapore Airlines, India has been registering double-digit growth in capacity even when the rest of its global route network is growing in single digits. “For us, India is definitely among the top 10 revenue generators globally and features very strongly among our scheme of things,” Mr Menon said.

Among top three

According to Mr Robert James Baird, Area General Manager, Asia and the Pacific, British Airways, the latest results show that the India route is among the top three revenue generators for the airline.

Airline officials added that the latest revenue figures show that India has overtaken Australia.

Adds Ms Nisha Maharaj, Regional Manager, American Airlines, “The launch of any new sector has to make good business sense. We are seeing growth on a year-to-year basis on the India route.”

Sensing the business potential early on, the airline first launched flights to India before starting operations to China and Russia.

According to the Mr Peter Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Srilankan Airlines, while India was not among the top revenue generator for the airline earlier, the situation is different now.

During financial year 2006-07, India accounted for 32 per cent of the airline’s global traffic with SriLankan carrying 1.1 million passengers to and from India.

“We are keen to reach 150 weekly flights to India in the next five years,” Mr Hill added. The airline currently operates 100 weekly flights to India.