JET Airways is set to enter codeshare agreements with Malaysia Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Vietnam Airlines, American Airlines and Kenya Airways.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation last week green-lighted the move, for implementation over the next four to eight weeks.
Commenting on the impact of the tie-up, Anil Punjabi, chairman-east, Travel Agents Federation of India, said: “Additional codeshares will help Jet Airways tap into a larger share of the Indian outbound market, especially from Tier Two and Tier Three cities where it already flies. This segment will emerge as a booming new client base for outbound travel from India.”
Mumbai-based Amazing Vacations’ director, Veneeta Rawat, expects the codeshare agreements would also boost shorthaul travel out of India.
“Jet’s growing flight network through Etihad (Airways’ acquisition) as well as the imminent (codeshare agreements) with Malaysia Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Vietnam Airlines will facilitate the designing of new tour itineraries in these Asian countries, which are already favoured shorthaul destinations for Indian tourists,” said Rawat.
“Outbound numbers will increase, as longhaul travel is taking a beating because of the weak Indian rupee (TTG Asia e-Daily, July 12, 2013).”
Etihad Airways is in the process of purchasing a stake in Jet Airways (TTG Asia e-Daily, December 4, 2012). The deal, which is due to receive regulatory permission this month, will see 23 Indian cities linked to Abu Dhabi.
