Low demand for routes vacated by Kingfisher

Competing airlines expressed a lukewarm response to the possibility of getting new slots across the country which will be vacated by cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines. The airlines yesterday told the Directorate General of Civil Aviation that they were reducing the number of daily flights to 175 from 250 because of less number of aircraft in operation.

Jet Airways also is not interested in increasing the number of flights. “With all of fuel and airport costs and low yields, we simply will not make any money by introducing more flights,” said a Jet Airways executive.

Low cost carriers are also indifferent. “The problem of slots is only at Mumbai and Pune airports and the rest do not have any slot issues. Kingfisher’s withdrawal is not set to create a demand for us, as there is no permission issue at other airports,” said an executive of a Delhi-based low cost carrier.

In November, Kingfisher had brought down the number of daily flights to 250 from 418 and further to 175 this month. Eight of Kingfisher’s slots at Mumbai airport have already been taken over by Jet Airways (three), IndiGo (two flights), Air India (two) and SpiceJet (one).

GoAir, however, sees an opportunity. “We are looking to increase flights from Mumbai but it depends upon availability of slots. We are in touch with DGCA and Mumbai airport in this regard. We are also getting two planes in April and July but with our current capacity too, we may be able to add few flights,” said GoAir Chief Executive Officer Giorgio DeRoni.

The DGCA confirmed it is in the process of allocating the routes. “If there is a demand from other carriers for those routes, it will be seen whether those routes could be allocated to them or not,” said a senior DGCA official.