Air India has decided to stop trans-Atlantic flights from London and Frankfurt using the ?fifth freedom? traffic rights and make the Capital?s Indira Gandhi International airport (IGI) its global hub. The move comes ahead of the national carrier?s plan to dismantle its expensive European hub which is estimated to save the airline Rs 216 crore annually.
?Taking into account the Delhi hub, it was planned to restructure the airline?s long-haul operations from the winter schedule. Fifth freedom sectors via London and Frankfurt have been eliminated,? an internal communication of Air India revealed.
Fifth freedom ,also referred beyond rights, allows an airline to land in a second country to pick up passengers there and then fly to a third country where the travellers deplane. For example, a Jet Airways flight from India lands at Heathrow and then flies to Chicago. An Air India official spokesperson confirmed the development saying the airline would operate direct flights to destinations in the US and Canada.
Air India is undertaking a restructuring exercise of its international operations and has firmed up plans to launch non-stop flights to New York, Toronto and Chicago from Delhi. It has also proposed to launch daily service between Delhi-Melbourne route as part of its Delhi hub.
?Besides huge cost savings, competition in fifth freedom segment was also comparatively less in the home base (Delhi) as against Frankfurt,? the airline management recently told its board.