NEW DELHI: In a move that's likely to boost Indian carriers' plan to start flights to Dubai, the Indian government has raised the issue of 'non-availability of commercially and operationally feasible slots' for Indian carriers at Dubai airport with the Dubai authorities.

In a letter dated January 3, 2016, to president of Dubai civil aviation authority Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju has stressed that non-availability of slots is the reason behind non-utilisation of bilateral entitlements by Indian carriers.

"The primary reason for low utilisation by Indian carriers is the non-availability of commercially and operationally feasible slots at the Dubai International Airport. The Indian carriers have informed that they are not being provided the desired slots at Dubai airport, and Dubai Airport Authority has been turning down requests of Indian carriers or providing options which are not viable for operations," Raju wrote, which was seen by ET.

The missive adds that the option of shifting operations from Dubai International Airport to Dubai World Central (DWC), which is far from Dubai city, is also not commercially viable for Indian carriers.

Raju, in his letter, has also informed that designated carriers from Dubai are being given requested slots in India. "The designated carriers of the UAE — Emirates and flydubai — are being given their requested slots and India has always recognised their requirements and responded in a positive manner," the letter points out.

The letter is in response to a request by Dubai for an increase in weekly bilateral seat entitlements between Indian and Dubai by 50,000, first reported by ET. The government has, however, taken a stand that any increase in bilateral rights will only happen if Indian carriers exhaust the current quota. Meanwhile, airlines term this letter as an encouraging initiative by the government.

"This is, I think would be the first time, the government has written such a letter to Dubai authorities and is encouraging. It is difficult to get slots of our choice. Slots offered are of early morning, which are not feasible to operate. At times, the difference between the return and arrival are of over two hours, when we can turn around the flight faster," said an airline executive, who did not want to be identified. He added that the Indian carriers can fully use the remaining bilateral entitlements if Dubai airport gives them the right slots. "Adding flights to exhaust 13,000 more seats should not be a problem," said the executive.