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Air-India gears up to take on Cathay Pacific, United Airlines

Air-India will meet the severe competition posed by United Airlines and Cathay Pacific on the Delhi-Hong Kong sector by increasing the number of its flights and by introducing a new route between Hong Kong and Madras, a senior company official said in Beijing.

"Of course, it is a challenge. But we are confident to meet them by augmenting our services as well as introducing new air route between Hong Kong and Chennai," Air-India's regional director for Far East, south-east Asia and Australia, G D Vyas said in a telephone interview.

Vyas, who is based in Hong Kong, said this when asked to comment on the introduction of direct flights between Hong Kong and New Delhi four times a week by Hong Kong's flag carrier Cathay Pacific from March 26 and another daily non-stop flight to Delhi by US' United Airlines from April 1.

Both United Airlines and Cathay Pacific are offering passengers to Delhi double frequent flier points and convenient connections to other major destinations.

Vyas said: "We have chalked out a plan to face increasing competition," adding that India's national carrier would soon increase its weekly frequency from the current five to nine.

"We are watching the market and will take whatever measures to face competition," he said pointing out that Air-India would be the first airline to start a direct flight between Hong Kong and Chennai that could attract many non-resident south Indians in Hong Kong as well as those in the United States and elsewhere.

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