Open skies after vote, al-Baker urges India

Bloomberg

Dubai

Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar al-Baker said the airline’s expansion into India will depend on whether the government will further open the nation’s skies after elections due by May.

In January, India’s aviation ministry lifted a ban on Airbus A380 from entering the country and allowed airlines to fly the double-decker planes to four airports, including New Delhi and Mumbai. Authorities also approved a deal for Etihad Airways to purchase a 24% stake in Jet Airways India as the country eased airline ownership rules last year.

“The government does not allow free access to the Indian market,” al-Baker told reporters in Sharjah on Saturday. “Aviation is a very important tool of a country.”

Qatar Airways, which operates 13 destinations to India, still has room to increase existing routes, al-Baker said. The carrier also sees “huge potential” in serving the Iranian market and hoped authorities will allow them to expand the three destinations it already offers, he said.