The Hindu Business Line : Govt allows Jet, Sahara to increase flights to the UK

The Government has allowed two private sector airlines — Jet Airways and Air Sahara — to increase the number of flights being operated to London from this winter. The permission allowing the two airlines to begin more flights to the UK was given early this week.

While Jet Airways has been given permission to operate a daily flight from either Delhi or Mumbai to London, Air Sahara has been given permission to operate a daily service from Delhi. The latest Government permission means that Jet Airways will be offering a double daily service from India to London, while Air Sahara will now operate a daily flight on this route.

"We will be starting the service during the winter schedule. However, it is still too early to give an exact date for the start of the service," a senior Air Sahara official said. Globally, the winter schedule of airlines begins from October-end and continues till April.

The airline, which hopes to finish acquiring an aircraft shortly, is to announce more details, including the timing of the flight soon, officials said.

In the recent past, there has been a substantial increase in the number of flights being operated by new and existing airlines on the India-UK route. New airlines such as British Midland have started operating on the sector. Similarly, the existing airlines, including Air-India, have been adding more flights on this route. The increase in flights has been triggered by the recently concluded air services agreement between India and the UK. The agreement allows 56 flights from Delhi and Mumbai to London-Heathrow, and unlimited flights from India to the UK on all other routes. For the UK, there is a staggered increase in flights from London-Heathrow to Delhi and Mumbai — 42 in 2005 winter, 49 in 2006 summer and 56 in 2006 winter. In addition, there can be 14 flights a week from the UK to Bangalore and Chennai and seven flights a week from the UK to any other city in India.

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