Govt. asks AI to consider hub in Vienna
New Delhi, Aug. 2 (PTI): The Government has asked Air India to look for a hub in Vienna apart from Munich in Europe to launch hub-and-spoke operations even as the national carrier decided to launch a Delhi-New York direct daily service from January 7 next year.
A meeting of top officials of two state-owned carriers, Air India and Indian, which are in the process of being merged, was held here today with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel reviewing the action taken by them in the past few weeks to synergise their operations.
The meeting was informed about recent talks between Air India Chief V Thulasidas and Lufthansa Board member Carl Garnnet about the Indian carrier's plans to establish a European hub, with Munich being one of the airports, sources said.
The Minister is understood to have asked the airline to look at other European airports as well, including Vienna, for which talks could be held with Austrian Airways, they said.
The move by the state-run airline to establish a European hub to launch 'scissor operations' to North America comes in the wake of its private competitor Jet Airways establishing such an operational hub at Brussels.
Air India, which already flies to several European cities like Frankfurt, London, Paris and Birmingham, is likely to have at least 5-6 daily flights arriving at the European hub from different parts of India and transfer passengers to other Air India planes bound for destinations beyond.
The airline has already decided to streamline its global and domestic operations and launch new services on several sectors including the Delhi-New York (JFK Airport) flight from January 7 next year.
(The Hindu)
New Delhi, Aug. 2 (PTI): The Government has asked Air India to look for a hub in Vienna apart from Munich in Europe to launch hub-and-spoke operations even as the national carrier decided to launch a Delhi-New York direct daily service from January 7 next year.
A meeting of top officials of two state-owned carriers, Air India and Indian, which are in the process of being merged, was held here today with Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel reviewing the action taken by them in the past few weeks to synergise their operations.
The meeting was informed about recent talks between Air India Chief V Thulasidas and Lufthansa Board member Carl Garnnet about the Indian carrier's plans to establish a European hub, with Munich being one of the airports, sources said.
The Minister is understood to have asked the airline to look at other European airports as well, including Vienna, for which talks could be held with Austrian Airways, they said.
The move by the state-run airline to establish a European hub to launch 'scissor operations' to North America comes in the wake of its private competitor Jet Airways establishing such an operational hub at Brussels.
Air India, which already flies to several European cities like Frankfurt, London, Paris and Birmingham, is likely to have at least 5-6 daily flights arriving at the European hub from different parts of India and transfer passengers to other Air India planes bound for destinations beyond.
The airline has already decided to streamline its global and domestic operations and launch new services on several sectors including the Delhi-New York (JFK Airport) flight from January 7 next year.
(The Hindu)
