Lufthansa's A380 Plan Hits an Air Pocket as India Blocks Superjumbo Flight

Deutsche Lufthansa's plan to introduce Airbus A380 service on the Delhi-Frankfurt route has been scuppered by the Indian government, which has blocked the airline's proposal to operate the superjumbo jet between the two cities from next month. The ministry of civil aviation has raised concerns that allowing Lufthansa to operate the A380 will give it a capacity advantage over Indian carriers, potentially hurting their business.

Lufthansa had factored in an Airbus A380 for India in its route planning and had planned to deploy the new jet on the India route from May 15. However, the German carrier's director (South Asia), Axel Hilgers, said that "There is neither a yes nor a no from the ministry," indicating that the airline's plans are still uncertain.

The civil aviation ministry is of the view that allowing Lufthansa to operate A380 will mean raising the airline's capacity on the sector. An official in the ministry with direct knowledge of the matter said, "An A380 coming into the country means cutting off the business of domestic carriers. We can not allow that." The ministry is also concerned about the lack of facilities at the Delhi airport to handle an aircraft as big as the A380.

Lufthansa rejected this argument, with Hilgers saying, "This (Delhi) airport was constructed to have A380. The airport is interested to have this aircraft as they will get more transit passengers." The airline has seven A380s and is acquiring another next month.

Key Takeaways:

• The Indian government has blocked Deutsche Lufthansa's plan to operate the Airbus A380 on the Delhi-Frankfurt route from next month.
• The civil aviation ministry is concerned that allowing Lufthansa to operate the A380 will give it a capacity advantage over Indian carriers, potentially hurting their business.
• Indian carriers often accuse foreign carriers of taking away traffic from the country, with foreign carriers carrying 70% of the onward traffic from India to international destinations.
• Aviation experts say the main reason behind the denial to Lufthansa is the additional capacity offered by an A380, which can hamper the business of Air India and other Indian carriers.
• The decision has implications for Air India's international expansion plans, as Lufthansa is likely to carry much of the onward traffic to the US, a market where Indian carriers want to grow.

Statistics:

• 70% of onward traffic from India to international destinations is carried by foreign carriers (according to industry estimates)
• Air India operates daily flights to Frankfurt from Delhi and Mumbai
• International operations contribute 60% of Jet Airways' revenues
• Lufthansa has seven A380s and is acquiring another next month
• A380 offers 139 more seats per aircraft as against a Boeing 747-400, or 255 additional seats as compared with a Boeing 777-300 ER or 777-200 LR versions most used by airlines in India

Sources:

• The Times of India
• Deutsche Lufthansa
• Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India
• Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation
• Industry estimates