Jet Airways to codeshare with KLM, Delta; to make Amsterdam new hub

Mumbai: In a move that will help it fly more passengers to Europe and the US, Jet Airways on Monday announced codesharing pacts with KLM and Delta Air Lines besides deciding to make Dutch capita Amsterdam as its new hub in Europe.

Jet Airways, which has been using Belgian capital Brussels as the gateway for its operations in Europe and beyond, would also be starting two new flights from India to Amsterdam.

It would soon start one flight each from Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto to the Dutch capital.

The move by Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways, in which Gulf carrier Etihad has 24 percent stake, will help provide seamless air connectivity to as many as 41 European and American cities from India.

In a statement, Jet Airways said it would codeshare to "30 European destinations for travel between India and Europe via Amsterdam. Key destinations include Brussels, Berlin, Copenhagen, Munich, Madrid, Geneva and Vienna operated by KLM".

Besides, the carrier would codeshare with KLM and Delta on 11 destinations between India, the US and Canada including New York's JFK, Newark, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Montreal.

The codeshare agreements are subject to government and regulatory approvals. Code-sharing of flights allows an airline to book passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless transport to multiple destinations where it has no presence.

Jet Airways said its passengers from India would soon be able to access the greater networks of Delta and KLM on an interline basis with convenient connections to over 70 destinations across North America and Europe.

Those travelling from over 50 European cities would be able to connect to the entire Jet Airways network across India, SAARC and the ASEAN region via Amsterdam, the statement said.

Besides, passengers from Toronto would have access to 30 select European destinations via Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Jet Airways would operate two daily non-stop flights to Amsterdam from New Delhi and Mumbai.

The services would start from March 27, 2016. This would be in addition to new flight from Toronto to Amsterdam.

The 293-seater wide-body Airbus A330-300 aircraft in two-class configurations would be used for these flights.

The schedules of all three  lights have been planned in such a way as would allow quick and convenient connections between India and Toronto over Amsterdam, the statement said.

Bookings for these flights would begin from December 15.

"Jet Airways' two daily flights from India to Amsterdam will facilitate further growth in business and tourism between India and the Netherlands," Jet Airways chief executive officer Cramer Ball said.