The Hindu Business Line : India-UK air fares set to drop further

Jet officials said a lot will depend on how the airlines of the Gulf region, which offer connections through their home base to the UK, react to the proposed increase in the number of non-stop flights between India and Britain

New Delhi , May 23

THE verdict is still out on whether airfares on the India-UK route will touch the same rock bottom levels as they now have on the London-New York sector.

But a cross-section of the industry says it is no longer unthinkable to have fares as low as $100 (Rs 5,000) on the India-UK route, as is available on the London-New York sector

For a start, the India-UK air services bilateral that was concluded earlier this year will see the number of flights being operated between the two countries progressively reach 56 a week.

In the past week alone, there has been an increase in the number of non-stop flights on the route.

While the British Midland has started a three-times-a-week flight between Mumbai and London, the Indian carriers Air-India and Jet Airways have also launched flights between Delhi and London and Mumbai and London, respectively.

Jet Airways has a limited time inaugural fare of Rs 23,000 on the Mumbai-London sector.

Airline officials said a lot will depend on how the airlines of the Gulf region, which offer connections through their home base to the UK, react to the proposed increase in the number of non-stop flights between India and Britain

"This is a rapidly growing market. We will be competitive but not lead the charge with rock-bottom fares.

"But as the market grows, the India-UK market will become similar to the one between, say, the UK and Thailand, the UK and South Africa and also the UK and the US," the General Manager, UK and Ireland, Jet Airways, Mr Dan Brewin, said.

Senior official of other airlines said the start of more direct flights will see fares moving southwards.

Some said the fares could be reduced as much as 25 per cent.

"One thing one can be sure of is more direct flights will offer passengers more opportunities to travel.

"A reduction in prices is very realistic.

"But how much the reduction will be is difficult to say just yet," the Director of Commercial Planning, British Airways, Mr Robert Boyle, said.

Clearly, this means good times for passengers travelling on the India-UK route in the near future.

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