The Middle Eastern states developed a long-term vision in the 1990s - to develop their then tiny airports into massive aviation hubs. Dubai created Emirates Airlines, Qatar created Qatar Airways and Abu Dhabi founded Etihad Airways (a bit later, in 2004). The vision was crystal clear - Asian markets are on the rise and as more and more people travel around the world, we can capture a large chunk of the market. Today, airlines such as Emirates are widely respected and wildly successful. With the exception of one year, Emirates has posted fantastic numbers throughout its 20+ year history. Likewise we have Qatar Airways, one of the world's only 5 star airlines, which recently built a swanky airport in Doha (I've transited there and its wonderful). Etihad, the national airline of the UAE may be the smallest of these three in fleet size but it is not to be underestimated. It enjoys a very clear product positioning in the market and is growing steadily.
What's common to these 3 successful airlines is the importance they place on the Indian market. India has been one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. With a burgeoning middle-class population that is slowly but surely beginning to travel abroad, it offers enormous potential to airlines. Today India is Emirates’ single largest market with 185 weekly flights. Qatar Airways has almost 100 weekly flights.
The 3 Middle-eastern giants have positioned themselves very well in India. They started doing what no other airline did - brought in brand new aircraft, serviced some of the smaller cities, offered excellent on-board service and had generous baggage allowances. Put together, these 3 airlines operate from 12 different cities in India to more than 150 destinations across the world. As a travel professional that manages events across the globe, it makes great sense for me to use one of these 3 airlines. I can get people from anywhere in India to Europe, North America and Africa via a connection in the Middle East. I always have multiple flight options, delicious Indian meals and the opportunity to shop in some of the world's fanciest airports. Etihad now also offers US-bound passengers the opportunity to clear US Immigration in Abu Dhabi and arrive in the US as a domestic passenger. Undoubtedly, that is a great benefit if flying to the US. With more and more Indians being able to afford international travel, the market for airlines is growing steadily. Indian airlines have definitely felt the onslaught of these airlines. Air India no longer treats Mumbai as an international hub and has terminated a few routes as well. Jet Airways on the other hand didn't perform well in the past few years; now Etihad has gone ahead and acquired a stake in Jet Airways.
Almost 90% of the passengers on a recent Delhi-Dubai flight had onward connections from Dubai. All those I spoke to found several advantages flying with Emirates. They found multiple flight options very convenient and the service came in for special praise. This just goes to show that a well-defined strategy is helping these carriers build a very strong customer base in India. The fact that Emirates and Qatar Airways are flying some of their brand new aircraft to India (the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 respectively) clearly demonstrates India's importance in their long-term business vision.
The Middle East hasn't become India's aviation hub by accident; it is a carefully planned and brilliantly executed strategy on the part of these 3 airlines, and to a lesser extent some of the other gulf airlines. With the way the Indian market is growing, things will only get more interesting.
Author: Saket S. Pandit
(Experienced travel professional)
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