The region contributed 33 per cent to the airline's total earnings on a corporate basis as compared to 31 per cent contributed by the India sector, Air India regional director (Gulf and Middle East) George Tharakan, said at a press conference here.

He said Air India owed its good performance in the region to some important factors, like a judicious pricing policy, improved in-flight services and aggressive marketing strategy based on value addition.

Tharakan said the Dubai region had played a significant role in the regional performance, having contributed 20 per cent of the total Gulf revenue, and having overtaken Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Dubai, which had a capacity share of 33.5 per cent, had a market share of 44 per cent.

He said there were 88 flights from nine cities in the region, which also included Egypt, Libya and Djibouti in Africa. "Although our capacity share in the regional market is 35 per cent, we have been able to achieve 38.5 per cent of the market share. This shows there is a definite consumer preference for the airline", he added.

From Dubai, there were 27 flights out per week (including four on code-sharing basis with Indian Airlines to Calicut). The first Air India flight landed in Dubai on July 1, 1969. The Boeing 707 was piloted by commander DN Kapadia, Tharakan recalled.

He denied that Air India was not allowing other airlines to operate services to Cochin international airport as it wanted to maintain its monopoly there. He explained that whenever a new airport came up in India, it was Air India which had to resolve initial problems. Once the teething problems were sorted out, the government would not hesitate to open the airport to other airlines, Tharakan added.