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Virgin third code-share flight unlikely now

Ashwini Phadnis

NEW DELHI, Dec. 5

VIRGIN Atlantic Airlines (VAA) will have to wait a bit longer for final clearance from Air India to commence the third code-share flight on the India-London sector.

While VAA officials claimed that they would start the third code-share flight within a reasonable period of time following clearances from Indian authorities, AI officials said that ``nothing is in the offing'' just yet.

``The ball is in the court of AI and the Indian Government. The day we get the permission, we will start the service in a reasonable time period which will allow us to relocate aircraft and crew to commence the third flight. Further, the airline will be only too happy to serve other destinations in India,'' Virgin sources told Business Line.

Sources claimed that while Virgin was said to be keen to operate the third flight on Sundays from London with a Monday departure from Delhi, this was being resisted by AI as the Indian carrier also had flights to-and-from London on those days.

The agreement which the two airlines concluded in December - allowing VAA to start a twice-a-week service from July this year - stated that Virgin was to operate flights on those days when AI did not operate services to London.

Virgin sources said that the operation of the third flight would not affect AI as the British carrier would operate its service at a time different from what was operated by the Maharaja. ``The delay in granting us permission to operate the third flight on the sector is proving to be financially disastrous for AI, which is making several crores per flight per annum on the other two services,'' sources said.

Currently, VAA offers flights on Wednesdays and Fridays from London and Thursdays and Saturdays from Delhi. It had earlier said that the third service would begin from October. However, now there is no mention when the third service will commence.

Despite the problems of commencing the third flight and, probably, realising the potential of the Indian market, Virgin is said to be interested in code-sharing with AI to other cities such as Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.