Adani Demands More Bilateral Flying Rights; Air India, IndiGo Oppose Over Fair Competition

• Adani Airports Holdings seeks increased bilateral flying rights with 6 countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia) to boost international traffic at its 8 airports.
• Adani plans to invest $11.1 billion by 2030, including Navi Mumbai International Airport, arguing that without more flights, this capacity will be wasted, leading to higher ticket prices.
• Air India and IndiGo oppose, fearing unfair competition from Gulf carriers and undermining their significant investments in international networks.
• Current 2016 National Civil Aviation Policy restricts additional bilateral rights until Indian airlines utilize 80% of existing capacity, limiting growth on key routes like Dubai.
• The central government faces a dilemma: balancing Adani's investment returns and passenger demand against protecting and strengthening the domestic aviation industry.

Why It Matters: Adani's push for more flying rights clashes with Indian airlines' concerns over fair competition.