The Hindu Business Line : Emirates Airline open to picking up stake in airline in India

MR NABIL SULTAN (left), Senior Vice-President, Commercial Operations (West Asia and Indian Ocean), Emirates Airline, and Mr Salem Obidalla, Vice-President, India and Nepal, at a press conference in Bangalore on Friday. — G.R.N. Somashekar

Bangalore , Sept. 8

Emirates Airline said on Friday that it is willing to consider picking up a stake in an airline in India if the Government relaxes investment norms for foreign airlines.

`Open-minded'

"Emirates is open minded on acquisition opportunities," Mr Nabil Sultan,Emirates Airline Senior Vice-President for Commercial Operations, West Asia & Indian Ocean, told presspersons.

"As and when opportunities arises, we will take appropriate business decision," he said.

Emirates has a code share agreement with Jet Airways and has a joint venture with Sri Lankan.

He said the current fares of Emirates are at least 20 per cent lesser than what they were a year ago. Over the last one year, the airline has also added 6,000 seats from India, he added.

More flights

Mr Sultan said the airline would soon launch eight-flights-a-week service from Bangalore from October 29. This is being done to service the medical tourism boom in Bangalore.

As part of an inaugural offer, a return fare will cost Rs 14,000. Return fares to New York begins at Rs 38,400 and for the European countries, Rs 20,000.

All travel will be through the airline's hub, Dubai.

Emirates will also offer passengers on its first and business class, complimentary chauffeur driven airport transfer to and from their place of stay.