IndiGo planning non-stop flights to Tel Aviv, Milan & Dusseldorf
Says air travel recovery at a fast pace post Covid-19
New Delhi, Nov. 12 (Delhi Crown): India’s biggest privately-owned airline IndiGo is in flight expansion overdrive, especially after the Centre Government relaxed norms for foreign travel.
Airline’s CEO Ronojoy Dutta said IndiGo is now planning seven-hour non-stops flights to cities like Tel Aviv in Israel, Milan in Italy and Dusseldorf in Germany.
On the domestic air travel front, he said that with the relaxation in Covid protocol, IndiGo is operating more domestic flights on weekends and during holidays than it has ever done before. The focus is now on increasing flight connectivity to Tier-II and III cities, he added.
“In pre-pandemic times, we had about 1,600 daily flights of which 400 to 450 were international. Currently, we have about 1,400 daily flights of which nearly 80 are international. The peaks are looking good. The government has allowed 100 percent domestic capacity and our bookings at this time are 90-95 percent of pre-Covid levels,” Dutta was quoted as saying during an interaction with the media.
He, however, warned that rising costs of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) could force airlines to increase their passenger fares.
“Crude has gone from $43 a barrel last October to $84 now. We need some relief on taxes. Fares need to reflect higher fuel price, higher operating cost (added to by the falling rupee). Fuel is a problem and fares have to be brought higher,” Dutta said.
Dutta said India needs to help its airlines like other countries are doing. IndiGo is in talks to buy the Airbus A321 XLR (extra-long range) that has more comfortable seats, ovens for hot meals and in-seat plug-in sockets so that passenger their keep personal electronic devices charged during their journey.
