London: A diaspora-led advocacy group has launched a new campaign urging the airline industry to address a gap in the market for direct flights connecting Scotland with Indian cities. Indo-Scot Direct was formally flagged off at an event at the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Edinburgh this week, along with an online survey to highlight the far-reaching demand for direct routes between Edinburgh or Glasgow and Delhi or Mumbai, PTI news agency reported.
“Direct flights between Scotland and India will significantly enhance our cultural and economic exchanges, bringing our communities closer together. We see immense potential for growth in tourism, trade, and educational collaboration with the establishment of these direct routes," the CGI said in a statement.
The advocacy group, comprising representatives from leading IT companies, tourism operators, educational institutions and with the support of aviation authorities, believes the lack of such a direct flight connection is a “significant missed opportunity” within the India-UK corridor.
Research by the group found that airlines flying from Scotland to long-haul destinations like Australia or Singapore via Delhi would help make the route more eco-friendly and commercially viable. Additionally, the freight potential on the route is estimated as a market worth over GBP 300 million per year.
“There is a substantial and untapped market waiting for direct flights between Scotland and India. The Indian diaspora in Scotland is growing, and so is the number of students and tourists,” said Puneet Dwivedi, a Scotland-based civil servant and founding member of the advocacy group.
Made up of Indian-origin professionals, the group is also keen to connect with airlines in India to make presentations on how such flights will prove lucrative given the high demand from Scotland-based diaspora and their family members as well as Indian students and tourists increasingly attracted to the region.
