The Gulf route, over which the state owned airlines have a monopoly, generates large amounts of revenue for them. During 2005-06, the Gulf route was the second largest revenue generator for Air India from among the global routes on which it operates.
The airline earned Rs 1,591.04 crore from the sector in 2005-06.
In December 2004, while allowing private sector airlines to operate abroad, the Union Cabinet had mandated that a moratorium on their flying to the Gulf was to be in place till December 2007.
At present, Air India and its subsidiaries are allowed to operate flights to various regions in the Gulf including United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Late last week the Ministry of Civil Aviation allowed Jet Airways to start operating 70 flights a week to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain from January 1 next year when the ban on private airlines flying to the Gulf is to expire.
