Aviation ministry withdraws Kingfisher’s overseas traffic rights
25 Feb 2013
The civil aviation ministry has withdrawn traffic rights allocated to Kingfisher Airlines under bilateral aviation pacts with other countries with immediate effect. The ministry has also cancelled the domestic slots allocated to the airline under these slots, aviation minister Ajit Singh said today.
The ministry has decided to apportion traffic rights to eight countries coming under the bilateral pacts to other domestic airlines, making available about 25,000 additional seats per week for use by various other Indian carriers, an official release said today.
Some of these routes are much in demand by these carriers, the release added.
The aviation ministry has cited non-utilisation of the rights by Kingfisher as reason for withdrawal of the traffic rights.
Under the bilateral aviation pacts, the ministry had allowed Kingfisher Airlines to fly to eight countries, including Bangladesh (14 services per week), Hong Kong (14 services per week), Nepal (7 services per week), Singapore (7 services per week), Sri Lanka (14 services per week + 21 services per week from unlimited 18 destinations), Thailand (21 services per week), UAE Dubai (21 services per week) and UK (7 services per week each from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore).
These traffic rights were allocated to Kingfisher Airlines between the year 2008 and 2011.
