Sixth freedom choked Air India

Nearly one-third of the 32.07 million international passengers who flew in and out of India in 2009-10 did so thanks to foreign carriers leveraging the sixth freedom rights. The sixth freedom permits a foreign carrier to fly passengers from one country to another while stopping in its own country. And, airlines like Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways, Qatar, Gulf Air and Singapore Airlines — which operate large hubs (like Emirates in Dubai) and offer passengers onward flights to the US and Europe — have used it effectively to increase their Indian market share at the expense of Air India (AI).

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