| AI plans European hub:Thulasidas |
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 State-run carrier Air India, which is being merged with another national airline Indian, is looking to create a hub in Europe and rationalise its route structure by providing more direct services.
Following the footsteps of its private competitor Jet Airways, which has established an operational hub at Brussels, Air India is holding discussions with aviation authorities in some major cities of Europe. "Discussions are going on. Let us come to some final conclusion and then we will let you know,"Air India CMD V Thulasidas said.The carrier, which already flies to several European cities like Frankfurt, London, Paris and Brimingham,"is now looking at other cities which can become our hub," he said, indicating the new hub could be finalised by early next year. Asked to elaborate, he said at least five to six daily fligts would arrive at the European hub from different parts of India and the passengers transferred to other Air India planes bound for destinations beyond. "But the existing flights through European cities where we are already operating, will continue. We will even add flights to these gateways,"Thulasidas, who has been appointed to head the merged state-owned carrier,said. However, these operations would grow over the next two-three years as Air India inducts more long-haul aircraft, he said. However, these operations would grow over the next two-three years as Air India inducts more long-haul aircraft, he said. Through the hub, an airline can pick up for example, US-bound passengers from India to the European airport and transfer them own aircraft for onward Journey. Such two-way operations, called 'scissor' or 'hub-and-spoke,' provide economies of scale in several areas. Thulasidas said post-merger, all fligts of Indian and Air India in the international and domestic sectors would be looked into and rationalised, depending on the demand. While daily frequencies would be maintained, curtailment on certain sectors cannot be ruled out. "We will improve the timings and frequencies, avoid hopping fligts and try to convert them into point-to-point service," he said, adding that more international flights would be operated from major cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Amritsar and Ahmedabad. "There should not be more than one stop on an international route." Giving an example, he said the Mumbai-Delhi-London-New York flight could originate from Delhi after Air India launches its direct Mumbai-Newark service. Similar could be the case for the Mumbai-Delhi-Bangkok-Shanghai service. While the Mumbai-Newark flight would be launched on August 1, Thulasidas said another direct fligth to New York would start from Delhi in the winter schedule. "We had earlier decided to start a Mumbai-Chicago service but are now considering a Bangalore-San Fransico flight." News from Times of India.
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