BT Explainer: Why are Indian overseas travellers preferring European carriers this summer?   

The Gulf region has remained the most preferred international hub for Indian overseas travellers, but the West Asia conflict has changed the dynamics. To tap the Indian overseas travellers this summer, European carriers have increased direct connectivity to several Indian cities, which could drive down airfares.

India was the biggest market for Qatar, Etihad, and Emirates, with a sizable number of Indians flying to the US, Canada, and Europe via the Gulf. The conflict has curtailed the services of these carriers in India, creating a big void in India market.

Domestic players Air India and IndiGo cannot fill in the space as they are already facing challenges due to airspace constraints over West Asia and Pakistan. They have to fly longer routes with Air India, taking additional stops for refuelling in long-haul flights. Air India is also looking to cut international capacity by 10-15%, according to media reports.     

European carriers have decided to seize the opportunity by deploying additional capacity in India.  

What is the capacity deployed by European carriers?

Airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Air France, Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have announced additional flights and increased frequency to India to cater to summer overseas travel from India.

Gulf was handling the 50% of Indian international travel through hubs like Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, connecting to the US, Canada and Africa. Air France has deployed bigger aircraft on both Delhi and Mumbai routes, while British Airways has added a daily flight to Delhi and Mumbai, starting in May.

German carrier Lufthansa has also increased frequency to Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, and SWISS Air has also increased frequency between Delhi and Zurich.

What does this mean for Indian travellers?

With West Asia carriers missing in action due to the ongoing conflict, airfare skyrocketed due to capacity crunch. The augmented capacity by European carriers is likely to drive down airfare this summer and offer direct connectivity options to Indian overseas travellers.       

Indian travellers are expected to prefer European carriers on long-haul and mid-haul routes due to shorter time duration compared to Air India and IndiGo, which have to fly longer routes due to airspace constraints over the Gulf and Pakistan.