International carriers operating to India are not only re-instating some of the frequencies that had been cut during the recession, but are also changing the configuration of the aircraft cabin to meet market demand.
The German carrier Lufthansa has increased its existing frequency to Bangalore and Mumbai, but has also started flying a twin-class business jet on the Pune-Frankfurt route replacing a 56-seater all-business-class jet operated earlier.
The airline's South Asia Director, Mr Axel Hilgers, told Business Line that the change in Pune had been made in an effort to “be more adaptive to the market”.
The airline has decided to halve the number of flights on the Pune-Frankfurt sector, although the decision to have a twin-class configuration aircraft will see the number of seats being offered increase to 92 from 56 earlier.
The airline operates a daily service on the Bangalore-Frankfurt sector instead of six weekly earlier. Similarly, the Mumbai-Munich route will also see one additional service from four flights a week.
Austrian Airlines, which Lufthansa has acquired, would also increase the frequency on its Delhi-Vienna route from five flights to six flights a week from June 2, said Mr Hilgers.
The Lufthansa Group would operate 65 flights a week from seven destinations in India during the current summer schedule, he added.
Swiss Air would not only increase frequency on its Mumbai-Zurich route from the current five flights a week to six flights starting June 2, but would also “gradually re-introduce frequencies on its Delhi-Zurich route and increase capacity on the Mumbai-Zurich route again during the 2010-11 winter schedule,” said Mr Jean-Philippe Benoit, General Manager, Swiss International Airlines.
By October-end, both these routes will have daily flights.
Singapore Airlines and the Hong Kong-based Dragonair have also indicated that they will operate more flights to Indian destinations.
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