Lufthansa targets A380 services to Delhi
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India may see its first commercial A380 flight land in Delhi come May, after German carrier Lufthansa requested permission to land from the Indian government. If the proposal is given the go-ahead, Lufthansa will begin daily A380 services between Frankfurt and Delhi from 15 May, making it the fifth superjumbo destination on its network.
The airline wishes to replace B747 services following a surge in demand along the route in a move that would increase seat capacity from 352 to 526 per flight.
IGI is fully equipped to handle A380 services, however according to TOI, the decision does not come without political implications as it could affect Air India’s application Star Alliance. The national carrier is bidding to become its first Indian member of the alliance and permitting A380 services by Lufthansa, which is a leading member, will add weight to AI’s application. But this could incur similar requests from other Star Alliance partners, Emirates and Singapore Airline, which would be difficult to refuse. While this is an encouraging sign for Indian aviation and national tourism, there are significant downsides to consider. The lure of flying on a superjumbo could pose intense competition to the international services by Indian carriers to key destinations like Dubai and Singapore.
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