The slowdown in the economy doesn’t seem to have affected the travel spends of companies flying to European destinations, especially London, according to Dubai-based Emirates, which operates 56 flights per week to London.

“We have seen a growth of about 10 per cent in passenger traffic from Bangalore to London this year till now compared to last year and the passenger load factor (PLF) is stable in the range of 75 to 80 per cent,” said Sales Manager-Karnataka, K P Venugopal. It is pertinent that unlike other Indian destinations, outbound travel from Bangalore comprises about 65 per cent of the total travel, the other segment being leisure.

The airline intends to introduce one more flight from the end of this month, as it is bullish on the corporate travel segment. “Our contracts with about 80 corporate clients are steady and they contribute to about 60 to 65 per cent of our corporate passenger traffic to London,” Venugopal added. 

The entry of new players,  into the segment is a factor that Emirates will have to reckon with, said Venugopal. “Over a period, the overall market size will also grow to accommodate new players.”