B'lore a new port of call for Saudi Airlines

This is part of the amendments to the Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Saudi Arabia agreed to by the government on Thursday. Both the countries are allowed to operate, as per the ASA, with multiple designations. For the designated Indian carriers, the points of call in Saudi Arabia are Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Medinah. For Saudia, the points of call are Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kozhikode and Lucknow.

The capacity entitlement is 75 services per week with any aircraft subject to a maximum capacity of 20,000 seats in each direction. As per the summer schedule of 2009, Saudi Arabian Airlines fly 39 services per week—9 to Mumbai, 5 to Hyderabad, 7 to Delhi, 5 to Chennai, 4 to Kochi, 2 to Bangalore, 4 to Kozhikode and 3 to Lucknow.

Air India flies 46 services per week—16 services/week to Riyadh, 14 to Jeddah and 16 to Dammam. Some of the salient features of the MoU are: each side can now designate any number of airlines as they wish; the capacity entitlement for the designated airline of each side has been enhanced from the existing 8,500 seats/week with frequencies not exceeding 31 services to 20,000 seats/week with frequencies not exceeding 75 services per week.