IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Monday strongly backed the Indian government’s cautious approach of not expanding bilateral air services agreements with countries that host major global hub airports, particularly in the Gulf. Responding to growing pressure from carriers like Emirates, Elbers maintained that bilateral pacts must work in the interest of both nations — not just the more vocal side.
“It’s called the bilateral agreement, right? That means two sides have to agree on something. And if one side makes more and more noise, it doesn’t mean that you’re more and more right,” Elbers said, addressing the media during the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) annual general meeting in Delhi.
His remarks came a day after Emirates President Tim Clark renewed calls for India to open its skies further, arguing that restrictive flying rights were inconsistent with India’s ambitions of becoming a global aviation hub. The India-Dubai air services agreement, which caps capacity at around 66,000 seats per week per direction, has not been revised in over a decade.
Elbers dismissed claims that India’s stance is protectionist, pointing to historical imbalances. “Historically, a lot of countries had flying rights to India and were using these, while Indian operators were not. There were a massive number of flights into India and no operations by Indian operators. So for a government to say, let’s first use the existing pool of traffic rights and only then expand, is a fair and balanced approach,” he said.
India’s current strategy is rooted in its long-term vision of becoming a self-sufficient global aviation hub. Major Indian airlines like IndiGo and Air India have placed large wide-body aircraft orders to bolster their long-haul capabilities — a critical step to reduce reliance on foreign carriers ferrying Indian passengers via hubs in Dubai and Doha.
Reinforcing Elbers’ argument, IATA Director General Willie Walsh called the current issue a matter of timing. “Flying rights are an issue right across the world. As Indian carriers expand and acquire more wide-body aircraft, there will have to be a corresponding change to the approach for access. Indian carriers deserve to get access to global markets,” Walsh said.
India’s firm stance on air rights reflects a strategic shift to prioritise the growth of its own aviation ecosystem, even as foreign carriers push for greater market access.