India Lifts Ban On Airbus A380 Jumbo Jets

Jan. 27, 2014
The aviation ministry has lifted a ban on jumbo jet Airbus A380, a move that will allow international airlines such as Singapore Airlines Ltd, Emirates and Deutsche Lufthansa AG to start its flights to India

Jan. 27--NEW DELHI -- The aviation ministry has lifted a ban on jumbo jet Airbus A380, a move that will allow international airlines such as Singapore Airlines Ltd, Emirates and Deutsche Lufthansa AG to start its flights to India, aviation minister Ajit Singh said in a statement on Monday.

"Now, flights of A-380 to India will be allowed to airports which are equipped to handle them," the ministry statement said. At present only four airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore -- have the required infrastructure for operations of A-380. The decision was taken after consulting with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the statement said.

"The operation of A380s will help airports to generate more revenue, give more comfortable and luxurious travel to passengers, liberalize the civil aviation milieu in India and boost the image of Indian civil aviation in the international market," the ministry said. "As per available information, Singapore Airline, Emirates and Lufthansa are interested in operating A-380 aircrafts in India on various international routes."

The A380 can cram 850 passengers in an all-economy configuration, transporting more travellers without significantly adding flights.

There are 114 A380s serving various routes worldwide, with another 262 of such aircraft on firm order, according to Airbus.

Nine of the 10 airlines that currently fly the A380 have scheduled flights into India.

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