International Travel atract to Kolkata
International flights from Kolkata are going choc-a-bloc, say travel industry sources. According to them, there is about 12 per cent year-on-year growth this December over last year. “There is enough reason for the travel industry here to be upbeat. Recently- launched flights by Air-India Express (with three times a week to Singapore and Bangkok each) and China Eastern Airlines (five times a week to Kunming) are also going almost full,” said Anil Punjabi, chief of the eastern region of the Travel Agents Federation of India (Tafi).
What’s more, rumours are going around that Air France-KLM as well as Malaysia Airlines have been sending out feelers where Kolkata is concerned. It seems, gone are the days when carriers withdrew from Kolkata due to a poor load factor.
Despite the Infys and ITCs of the world voicing concern over the investment climate in West Bengal, thanks to Nandigram, the aviation industry seems to be putting its money on Kolkata. Lufthansa, resumed its Frankfurt-Kolkata-Frankfurt services after 35 years and the carrier is planning to increase its three flights a week to daily while Emirates is looking to increase its six flights a week to a daily affair on the Dubai-Kolkata-Dubai sector.
Qatar Airways, too, is exploring options for starting operations from Kolkata by March next year. Devendra Parekh, eastern region chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India (Taai), says: “There has been an increase of about 3,500 seats per week on the international sector over the last one year. These are winds of change.”
What’s more, rumours are going around that Air France-KLM as well as Malaysia Airlines have been sending out feelers where Kolkata is concerned. It seems, gone are the days when carriers withdrew from Kolkata due to a poor load factor.
Despite the Infys and ITCs of the world voicing concern over the investment climate in West Bengal, thanks to Nandigram, the aviation industry seems to be putting its money on Kolkata. Lufthansa, resumed its Frankfurt-Kolkata-Frankfurt services after 35 years and the carrier is planning to increase its three flights a week to daily while Emirates is looking to increase its six flights a week to a daily affair on the Dubai-Kolkata-Dubai sector.
Qatar Airways, too, is exploring options for starting operations from Kolkata by March next year. Devendra Parekh, eastern region chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India (Taai), says: “There has been an increase of about 3,500 seats per week on the international sector over the last one year. These are winds of change.”
