NEW DELHI: Dubai has sought a 76% hike in flying rights as Emirates, along with its low cost arm flyDubai, is now operating the maximum allowed 66,000 seats per week allowed under current bilaterals. The largest destination for Indian globetrotters has requested for additional 50,000 seats per week. Emirates plans to go beyond the current about 170 weekly flights to nine Indian cities India by brining places like Amritsar, Lucknow and Goa Mopa on its network and then flying to new airports like Navi Mumbai and Greater Noida when they are ready.
Emirates has been the largest foreign airline in India for several years. The last bilateral enhancement had happened about a decade back and now Indian carriers are also very close to exhausting their flying rights to Dubai — the biggest destination for Indians going abroad. From India’s side, Akasa is soon going to be eligible to fly abroad and Tata’s Air India Group and IndiGo are on a massive expansion spree. Dubai sees the maximum demand for travel to and from the country.
