India to look at enhancing air connectivity to China

New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarks on a three-day visit to China from Thursday, India may look at enhancing air connectivity between the two nations. "We will certainly look at increasing air services to China," a Civil Aviation Ministry source said here today.

At present, only Air India connects India with China flies to Shanghai from New Delhi four-times a week.

Private carries, Jet Airways and SpiceJet, had commenced services to Shanghai and Guangzhou respectively but later they opted out due to commercial considerations. They said, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou offer good passenger potential and the Government would favourably consider any proposal in this regard, if it comes from the domestic airlines.

Global airlines body International Air Transport Association (IATA), Director General and Chief Executive Tony Tyler had recently said that China is expected to oust the US to become the world's biggest aviation market in terms of passenger traffic by 2030.

Jet Airways had commenced a daily flight between Mumbai and Shanghai in January 2008 but scrapped it after operating for only eight months.

Similarly, budget carrier SpiceJet had launched a direct flight between Delhi and Guangzhou in Southern China in February 2013, but withdrew it after flying on this route for nearly one year.