Dubai: European-low cost carrier Wizz Air could one day fly to India using Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central as a hub.
József Váradi, Chief Executive Officer of Wizz Air, said on Sunday at the opening of Al Maktoum International that flying into India was “certainly something being evaluated” by the airline.
“We had discussion with India. Nevertheless, this is still premature,” he told Gulf News at the opening of Al Maktoum International on Sunday.
Wizz Air, a Hungarian no-frills airline, flew 12 million passengers across 290 routes in 35 different countries last year. The airline currently has 17 operational bases in nine Central and Eastern European countries.
Váradi said flying to India was scalable under Wizz Air’s business model and now that the airline had entered the Dubai market it “begs the question what’s next”.
However, flying into the Indian market would be subject to Indian regulatory approval, which Váradi admitted could be “difficult”. He said negotiations with Indian authorities could require input from authorities in the UAE.
The opening of Dubai’s second airport has created ample opportunity for new and existing carriers flying into the emirate, especially for carriers operating on the highly competitive Dubai-India routes.
“It is an important market and we have had significant interest from some of the Indian carriers,” Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports Chief Executive Officer, told Gulf news at the opening of Al Maktoum on Sunday.
He said he was sure Indian carriers will start signing up once they see the connectivity and convenience offered by the new airport.
