Dubai: In a bilateral deal signed on Wednesday between the civil aviation authorities of India and Abu Dhabi, the two countries have increased the number of weekly seats to 50,000 from the current 13,300 seats, according to the Indian ambassador to the UAE.
“We have increased weekly seats to 50,000 each between India and Abu Dhabi following an agreement signed today [Wednesday] between the Indian civil aviation ministry and the UAE civil aviation authority,” Lokesh Mysore Kapanaiah, Ambassador of India to the UAE, told Gulf News on Wednesday in a phone interview, confirming the deal.
He added that the new arrangement will be phased over a period of three years, until December 31, 2015.
The increase is almost four-fold over the current arrangement.
Jet Airways alone is reportedly seeking the bulk – 41,600 additional weekly seats to Abu Dhabi over the next three years. It currently operates 4,285 seats [to the UAE capital]. Etihad, meanwhile, has been operating 62 flights to India and is utilising 11,380 seats.
The decision comes following two-day talks that took place in Abu Dhabi between the two parties.
However, the move is said to be opposed by other Indian carriers and the airports as they fear it will hurt them as well end hopes of creating an airport hub in India.
