AIR INDIA IS REROUTING ITS AMRITSAR LONDON TORONTO FLIGHTS VIA DELHI, BUT TURKMENISTAN AIRLINES IS INCREASING ITS FREQUENCY FROM AMRITSAR
One of Air India’s most profitable routes is Amritsar – London – Toronto inter-continental route. Sometimes excessive profitability becomes the object of jealousies. But on account of some undisclosable reasons, Air India, for its own purposes, is going to convert Amritsar International Airport into only a spoke airport. This negates the status of an international airport. According to available information, Air India is going to make New Delhi Airport as the only hub airport in Northern India. All other airports in Northern India shall be converted into spoke airports.
This ill conceived decision does not seriously inhibit other airports in the region. Only Amritsar International Airport, which handles a number of important international flights, is likely to be the big sufferer. The cargo business of perishable vegetables and fruits at Amritsar International Airport, which was booming recently, will be seriously impacted. The new decision of Air India is coming into force with effect from November 1, 2010.
Whenever Air India does something detrimental to the interests of Amritsar International Airport, some other agency comes to the rescue of this airport. Judging the burgeoning demand of ridership between Amritsar and Birmingham in British Midlands, Turkmenistan Airlines has decided to increase its frequency on the Amritsar – Birmingham route from the present four times a week to seven times a week. This will happen almost at the same time when Air India is going to reduce the status of this airport to a spoke (auxiliary) airport.
Against a loss of four flights per week with effect from first of November 2010, Amritsar International Airport has already gained three flights due to increased service by Qatar Airways. But the gain of three flights per week due to the increased operations by Turkmenistan Airlines, the overall business at this airport is not going to go down, but will go up marginally.
All eyes are now looking at Air Canada or some other airline, to start the much needed Amritsar – Vancouver flights on daily basis. Non-stop flights will be ideal. This so far unexplored route is likely to become the lifeline of Amritsar International Airport.