India Has 'Fair and Balanced' Approach on Bilateral Flying Rights: IndiGo CEO

Asserting that the government has a "fair and balanced" approach on bilateral flying rights, IndiGo chief Pieter Elbers on Monday said one side making more noise does not mean that particular side is right, amid various foreign carriers seeking rights to operate more flying into India.

Elbers' comments also come against the backdrop of concerns expressed in certain quarters that while Indian carriers are looking to expand their international networks, the rights for foreign airlines to have more flights into India is not increased.

India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and IndiGo and Air India are expanding their international networks to cater to to the rising demand as well as operate more direct services to overseas cities.

At a briefing in the national capital on the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Elbers said a bilateral agreement means two sides have to agree on something and "if one side makes more and more noise, it doesn't mean that you are more and more right".

"It is a bilateral agreement that means the two sides have to agree on what is the benefit for both sides. If one side makes a lot of noise, it doesn't mean the other side say ya we do it," he said and emphasised that India has made quite a few new bilateral flying agreements with different countries.

He was responding to a query related to bilateral flying rights.

On Sunday, Gulf carrier Emirates' President Sir Tim Clark pitched for open access to the Indian market, saying that the restrictive practices on bilateral flying rights do not make sense.

"We have been stuck with 65,000 seats in each direction for just over 11 years. For every seat we sell, there are probably 10 who want it...," he had said.

Currently, the bilateral flying rights allow Dubai carriers -- Emirates and Flydubai -- to operate 65,000 seats weekly to India.

Similarly, Indian airlines can operate 65,000 seats to Dubai every week.

Elaborating on the bilateral flying rights, Elbers, on Monday, said that historically, a lot of countries have flying rights to India and are using these flying rights, whereas Indian operators were not using these flying rights. That should be taken into consideration.

"So for a government to say that first let's use the existing pool of traffic rights and when the existing pool of traffic rights is exhausted, go to the new traffic rights, I think it is a completely fair and balanced approach," Elbers said.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said as Indian carriers expand to access new markets, one has to see a corresponding change to the approach for access because Indian carriers will want access to our markets across the world.

"I think it is an issue of timing," he noted.