British Airways sees potential in India, will look to expand services: COO

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With the "incredible potential" in the Indian aviation market, British Airways will look to expand its services to cater to the growing travel demand as well as continue to create employment opportunities in the country, according to a senior airline executive.

Operating in India for more than 100 years, the airline, currently has 56 weekly flights from the country to London. There are three flights a day from Mumbai, two daily flights from Delhi and one flight daily from Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

The airline plans to have a third daily flight from the national capital to London from next year, subject to regulatory approvals.

"We are always looking to continue to expand our services as demand grows stronger. We continue to keep our network schedule under constant review to ensure we provide connectivity and choice for our customers.

"As demand strengthens, we remain focused on expanding our services and elevating the travel experience," British Airways Chief Operating Officer Rene de Groot told PTI in a recent interview.

India is the second largest market for British Airways after the US, and the airline has dedicated crew bases in each Indian city it operates from.

Groot said local staff play an essential role in delivering a premium service that is personalised and free of language barriers. "In India, we continue to create employment opportunities, and support regional economies - all while promoting the best of Britain," he added.

British Airways has its call centre, CallBA, in India with around 2,000 staff who provide round-the-clock support to customers from the US, Europe and Asia Pacific.

"From a people perspective, we have invested heavily in India and steadily expanded our colleague presence here, with CallBA and our five Indian cabin crew bases growing in size," Groot said.

CallBA is located in Gurugram, Haryana.

Also, British Airways has a codeshare agreement with IndiGo, and through a joint business partnership with Qatar Airways, the airline operates to 13 Indian stations, totalling 148 weekly flights to India. These are one-way, direct options from London with British Airways and from Doha with Qatar Airways.

As part of its continuing focus on India, British Airways, in March, also introduced the Meet and Assist service for passengers who require additional support while travelling from India to the UK.

"We view the dynamic growth of Indian carriers like IndiGo and Air India as a positive development for the aviation industry and for India's emergence as a global aviation hub.

"India is our second-largest market, and the rising demand, coupled with the expansion of carriers like IndiGo amongst others, reflects the incredible potential of this market," Groot said.

India and the UK have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in place, and the UK is also a leading destination for tourism and education. Half a million Indians visit the UK every year, and the Indian diaspora there also contributes significantly to the travel demand.