Indian low-cost carriers could soon be flying to Europe and United States

In a recent analysis by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), and an online travel agency, it was said that low-cost, long-haul flights in India have the potential to open up a multi-billion dollar opportunity for carriers. The analysis was made after Indian budget airlines rolled out plans to fly to Europe and the United States.
Up until now, Indian low-cost carriers were flying to nearby destinations, such as Sri Lanka and Thailand. As per the statistics, currently, only 0.3 percent of Indians travel abroad for leisure every year; with the introduction of long-haul, low-cost flights, this number could vastly improve.


This could increase tourism spending by Indians to the tune of $40 billion by 2027, up from approximately $16.4 billion that was in 2016. The low-cost, long-haul flights would be entering a competition against global players such as the Emirates and Lufthansa.
Kapil Kaul, CEO, CAPA India, said in a statement, "If there is any market where low-cost, long-haul can work, it is India."

As of now, the low-cost carriers have been dominating the air travel market in India since its inception in the early 2000s. Indian low-cost carriers are predicted to operate about 40 wide-bodied aircraft by 2025, contributing to an annual leisure outbound travel to up to 2 million.