India, Dubai reach air traffic rights pact

The civil aviation ministry on Wednesday revised the bilateral air traffic entitlements with Dubai, allowing them a 20 per cent increase in seats to India.

Dubai, which had asked for 50,000 additional seats a week, has been granted 11,000 seats for allocation in three phases. Dubai has not been granted any additional port of call (destination) in India. The agreement will be effective immediately.

“We have allocated Dubai 11,000 seats in three phases till the summer schedule of 2015. Dubai has agreed to grant change-of-gauge facility for Indian carriers at the existing airport,” said a senior official at the ministry.

Change-of-gauge will allow Indian airlines to change their aircraft at the Dubai airport before proceeding onward to a third country.

Of the 11,000 seats, 5,500 seats would be allocated in the summer schedule of 2014 and 3,300 seats will be made available in winter schedule later this year. The remaining 2,200 seats would be given in the summer schedule of 2015.

The agreement, which was arrived late in the evening on Wednesday after prolonged negotiations between the two parties, accords change-of-gauge facility to Indian carriers.

The official added, “Negotiations were stuck because Dubai was offering change-of-gauge at the new airport instead of at the existing one, which they agreed to later. Besides, we have asked the authorities to give some commitment to facilitate provision of slots asked for by Indian carriers at the Dubai airport.”