Air India officially opens new hub at Frankfurt Intl Airport

Frankfurt, Apr 4 (PTI) Air India has officially opened
its European hub at the Frankfurt International Airport from
where it will operate its west-bound flights.

The airline had launched two new daily US-bound flights
from Mumbai and Delhi and back last Sunday.

The Deputy Chairman of the Frankfurt International
Airport Stefan Schulte has said that Air India's chances of
joining the Star Alliance, the consortium of 21 global
carriers, have been improved by the opening of the Frankfurt
hub. "It is a good preparation for joining the alliance," he
said.

He hailed it as a milestone in more than 50 years of
cooperation between the airport and India's national carrier
and said it could lead to closer tie-ups in the coming years.

Air India and its passengers can now benefit from the
airports' excellent connectivity, modern infrastructure and
opportunities for operating new flights to many destinations,
he told PTI in an interview.

The Frankfurt Airport is ready to offer Air India more
such facilities to expand its operations, he said.

Air India has good prospects to start new flights to and
from Frankfurt when the airport's third runway becomes
operational by the year 2011.

India's Consul General Ajit Kumar said the opening of
Frankfurt hub is a great occasion for Air India and for
India's civil aviation industry. It will help Air India to
re-establish its credentials in Germany as a leading
international airline, which suffered a setback when it ceased
operating from the Frankfurt Airport for three years.

Air India is one of the few international airlines still
expanding in this difficult global economic situation and this
shows that the airline is well-placed to cope with the
economic and financial crisis and slump in global air travel,
Kumar said.

By operating some of the most modern aircraft and
offering seamless transfer for US-bound passengers from India
and back at the Frankfurt hub, Air India is now in a position
to compete with other international airlines, Air India's
Regional Manager (Central Europe) Ratan Bali said.

Air India's passengers can also get convenient
connections via the Frankfurt hub to a number of destinations
in Germany, in Europe and in the United States on Lufthansa
flights through code-sharing arrangements.

Air India has plans to tap the market potential of the
Indian diaspora in Germany and in other European countries by
launching publicity campaigns to inform them about the
attractive prices, most modern facilities and convenient
connections Air India's flights are offering for travellers
from Europe and the United States to India and vice versa,
Bali said. PTI CORR
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