Delhi Airport: Extra Slots for Foreign Airlines

New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) Delhi airport operator DIAL has given additional slots to a few foreign airlines for a short period amid capacity constraints in the wake of flight disruptions due to the West Asia crisis, according to sources.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is the country's largest airport.

One of the sources told PTI that some foreign airlines have been given additional slots. These slots have been allotted for April and May for the carriers, including KLM and Air Canada, to cater to the traffic demand, the source added.

Specific details were not immediately available.

With the West Asia crisis involving the US, Israel and Iran that started on February 28, there are airspace curbs and increased operational complexities resulting in flight disruptions. Many airlines have curtailed their services to and from as well as through the region.


In a report on Wednesday, credit rating agency S&P Global Ratings said it expected the Iran war to have a limited impact on Delhi airport's passenger volumes, for now.

"DIAL has allocated slots from Indian and Gulf-based airlines to other airlines for two to three weeks. The company plans to maintain these measures while the war continues to mitigate the impact on its operations," it had said.

As per the report, about 28 per cent of the airport's international passengers and 7-8 per cent of its total passenger traffic are exposed to the region.

"DIAL saw significant disruptions in the first week of the conflict. However, traffic volumes have since rebounded as airlines rerouted transiting flights away from the Middle East airspace. Transiting flights account for 25 per cent - 30 per cent of all traffic between Delhi airport and the Middle East," the report said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, British Airways announced it would operate additional flights from Delhi and Mumbai for a short term to meet the traffic demand amid the disruptions due to the West Asia crisis.

From April 7 to May 31, the airline will operate a third daily service from Delhi to London Heathrow and from Mumbai, it will have a third daily flight to London Heathrow from May 15 to 31, it said in a statement.