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Newstrack
Korean Air optimistic about upcoming bilateral talks
To promote Nadi aggressively
Chetan Kapoor - Mumbai
Elroy Lobo
Manager - Passenger Sales, Korean Air |
Seoul-based Korean Air is looking upbeat about the upcoming
bilateral talks between the Indian and South Korean governments. With increased
trade relationship between the countries and Korean companies like Hyundai,
Samsung, Daewoo, etc setting up businesses in India, Elroy Lobo, manager - Passenger
Sales, Korean Air, in a conversation with Express TravelWorld said, "In
the forthcoming bilateral talks, we are planning to raise the topic of increasing
flights from Mumbai or perhaps looking at other potential destinations in the
event of us not being allocated additional slots from Mumbai."
Furthermore, with EVA Air pulling out of India, effective June 1, 2008, additional
air rights to handle to the increased traffic from the United States' West Coast
will only work towards Korean Air's benefit. "This is going to be a big
boost for us and it has already started. This is a tremendous business opportunity
and hence we are looking forward to the bilateral talks," remarked Lobo.
According to him, if the bilaterals work in their favour, the carrier would
add another flight on a Sunday to the existing Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
departures from Mumbai.
While the core focus of passenger sales of the carrier is connecting Mumbai
to the West Coast of the United States - Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle
and Honolulu - via Seoul, it is increasingly looking at Nadi in Fiji Islands.
He adds, "Nadi will soon emerge as Mauritius did years ago. Indian passport
holders are already visiting the place as it has visa on arrival and one doesn't
require a transit visa at Seoul either, as compared to the three-sector flights
of other airlines," he said, with reference to Qantas and Singapore Airlines
which fly Mumbai-Singapore-Sydney-Nadi. "We are the only carrier offering
a two-sector flight between Mumbai and Nadi," he added.
For the same, the carrier is working out pricing strategies and evaluating whether
discounted fares is the way to go during the promotions.
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