Airport bottleneck forces airlines to cut expansion plans

The Mumbai airport has decided not to allow additional flights this summer, thanks to infrastructure bottlenecks.

This is likely to spoil the expansion plans of all carriers, including private players like Kingfisher, Simplifly Deccan and Jet Airways.

The decision was taken in a meeting held among officials of the civil aviation ministry, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, airport functionaries and the network planning executives of all major carriers last week.

"We have had no option but to juggle around our flight schedules because of this decision. I think in this case we are more or less in the same boat with other carriers," said Hitesh Patel, vice-president, Kingfisher Airlines.

Kingfisher has had to shelve its plans of 11 additional flights out of Mumbai to various other sectors including Delhi.

"We do not think this is fair. How are the airlines supposed to expand their operations if there are such constraints," asked a Simplifly Deccan executive.

Deccan, which is reworking its summer schedule after the meeting, might have to cut around five of its additional planned flights out of Mumbai.

Mumbai is not the only case in point. Airline executives said that operating to most metros will pose serious problems this summer.

"Flight induction to other metros too will be a problem. Other airports like Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata also expressed capacity constraints at the meeting," said Samyukth Sridharan, the chief commercial officer of SpiceJet.

Although, SpiceJet did not have a problem with Mumbai, it has shelved plans of 24 daily flights to various destinations in the country.

However, like last year, airlines have been allowed to re-apply for additional flights as and when they get delivery of new aircraft during the summer.

SpiceJet executives said the company will apply when it gets the first aircraft in the coming months.

According to industry sources, Jet Airways which had to cut several planned additional flights will also reapply as and when the three additional aircraft expected till August are delivered.