KLM eyes India's aviation boom

The Netherlands' flag carrier KLM will expand its operations in India by starting flights to Hyderabad in September, president and chief executive officer Marjan Rintel said in an interview with Mint. The airline will deploy Boeing 777s on the Amsterdam-Hyderabad route, its fourth connection to India.

- Daanish Anand

Rintel also said she was impressed by the growth of India's aviation market, and that the airline would invest more in the country. KLM expects demand to increase and IndiGo to remain a partner despite its plans to start direct flights to Europe, she added.

Edited excerpts:

KLM has been flying to India for many decades. What opportunities do you see for expanding operations? What's your outlook on the Indian market?

KLM has been in India for the past 70 years, and we are investing in India in terms of destinations. The relationship between the Netherlands and India is important, so we always look for opportunities. We will start operating flights to Hyderabad in September. This will be our fourth destination in India.

India is a booming market. With a growing middle class, more people want to fly, and that's what we see today. A lot of businesses from the Netherlands are flying to Hyderabad, so this market will also be important from a cargo perspective. Demand has doubled in comparison to pre-covid, and we will look at more options based on the demand.

Do you see any challenges in the Indian market? How do you plan to invest more here?