India’s fifth-largest airline is planning to touch down in some relatively unchartered territories.
GoAir, promoted by the 280-year-old Wadia group, has sought India’s aviation ministry’s permission to fly to Iran, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan—countries where no Indian airline flies directly to.
The Mumbai-based airline also wants permission to fly to China, Kuwait, Thailand, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Oman, Qatar, and UAE.
“We are requesting to be designated to fly to the countries mentioned on a scheduled basis during the summer schedule 2017. Extensive evaluations have been conducted to arrive at a phase-wise plan for implementation,” Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, GoAir chief executive officer, wrote in a letter to the aviation ministry.
Over the past few years, the number of tourists from India to countries such as Iran and Turkey has been growing steadily, data from the Indian tourism ministry shows. Indians have also been travelling to Kuwait over the past few decades in search of jobs in the oil-rich country.
The Indian government does not have data on travels to Uzbekistan. But, the central Asian country has been a favourite among Indian visitors according to the book, If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai: A Conducted Tour of India, by Srinath Perur.
According to the writer, Tashkent has built up quite a reputation as a sex-tourism hub. More often than not, Uzbekistan Airlines aircraft are packed with Indian men who travel in groups to the central Asian country, writes Perur.
With New Delhi also looking at better ties with Tehran, which is slowly opening up after being under economic sanctions for years, tourism between the two countries is expected to grow significantly. Between 2011 and 2013, Indian travellers to the Islamic country grew by a staggering 103%, according to the ministry of tourism.
To Read the News in Full 12/07/16 Manu Balachandran/Qaurtz
GoAir, promoted by the 280-year-old Wadia group, has sought India’s aviation ministry’s permission to fly to Iran, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan—countries where no Indian airline flies directly to.
The Mumbai-based airline also wants permission to fly to China, Kuwait, Thailand, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Oman, Qatar, and UAE.
“We are requesting to be designated to fly to the countries mentioned on a scheduled basis during the summer schedule 2017. Extensive evaluations have been conducted to arrive at a phase-wise plan for implementation,” Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, GoAir chief executive officer, wrote in a letter to the aviation ministry.
Over the past few years, the number of tourists from India to countries such as Iran and Turkey has been growing steadily, data from the Indian tourism ministry shows. Indians have also been travelling to Kuwait over the past few decades in search of jobs in the oil-rich country.
The Indian government does not have data on travels to Uzbekistan. But, the central Asian country has been a favourite among Indian visitors according to the book, If It’s Monday It Must Be Madurai: A Conducted Tour of India, by Srinath Perur.
According to the writer, Tashkent has built up quite a reputation as a sex-tourism hub. More often than not, Uzbekistan Airlines aircraft are packed with Indian men who travel in groups to the central Asian country, writes Perur.
With New Delhi also looking at better ties with Tehran, which is slowly opening up after being under economic sanctions for years, tourism between the two countries is expected to grow significantly. Between 2011 and 2013, Indian travellers to the Islamic country grew by a staggering 103%, according to the ministry of tourism.
To Read the News in Full 12/07/16 Manu Balachandran/Qaurtz
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