India losing out by not expanding air travel pact with UAE: Emirates chief

Dubai: Emirates chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has said India’s long-standing restrictions on flight rights are holding back its own aviation and economic growth. He described the unchanged bilateral air travel limits between India and the United Arab Emirates as a missed opportunity for both sides.

“If an airline is not allowed new seats for close to 12 years, who will lose?” Sheikh Ahmed told reporters when asked about the stalemate. “We are happy to see India giving us more seats in the future. That will benefit both economies.”

The UAE and India last updated their bilateral air service agreement more than a decade ago. Since then, Emirates and other UAE carriers have reached their seat quotas for major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

The freeze has limited the airline’s ability to increase capacity despite strong passenger demand between the two countries. India remains one of Emirates’ largest markets, with millions of travellers connecting through Dubai to destinations across Europe, the US and Africa.

Currently, India and UAE have emirate-specific bilateral agreements with limits on weekly seat capacities: Dubai airlines (such as Emirates and flydubai) and Indian carriers each have about 65,000 weekly seats authorised. Similarly, that number has stuck at 55,000 in Abu Dhabi.  

Sheikh Ahmed said the restrictions had not slowed Emirates’ overall expansion plans. “That doesn’t stop the airline from buying aircraft or opening new routes,” he said. “The globe is big. You push me not to go to one place; I will choose another.”

Sheikh Ahmed said increasing seat capacity would support India’s economy by boosting trade, tourism, and investment. “It will be good for them and for us,” he said, adding that a stronger aviation partnership benefits both countries’ long-term economic interests.

The India–UAE air services agreement, last negotiated in 2014, dictates how many weekly seats carriers from both countries can operate. Despite significant growth in air travel demand, these limits have remained unchanged for more than a decade.

Multiple aviation experts, including veterans Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, have repeatedly called for a revision, citing projection models that show large potential revenue losses for airports, tourism, and exporters on both sides due to the capacity cap.