NEW DELHI, Feb 26 – The cash-stripped Kingfisher Airlines has lost all its international bilateral traffic rights with immediate effect. In making the announcement, India’s Minister of Civil Aviation, Ajit Singh said the international traffic rights have been withdrawn from Kingfisher Airlines on account of non-utilisation by the airlines. Hence, the minister has decided to make these International traffic rights available to other carriers for use.
“This would give additional availability of approximately 25,000 seats per week for use by other Indian carriers to these eight countries, some of which are much in demand by these carriers,” he said in a statement released on Monday.
The eight countries Kingfisher Airlines were allowed to fly were Bangladesh (14 services per week), Hong Kong (14 services per week), Nepal (7 services per week), Singapore (7 services per week), SriLanka (14 services per week + 21 services per week from unlimited 18 destinations), Thailand (21 services per week), UAE Dubai (21 services per week) and UK (7 services per week each from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore). These traffic rights were allocated to Kingfisher Airlines between the year 2008 and 2011.
Similarly, it has also been decided to withdraw the domestic slots which were allocated to Kingfisher Airlines at different airports for domestic flights. Airports Authority of India has been directed to make these slots available to other domestic carriers according to their demand, he said.
BERNAMA
