Dubai-based Emirates is seeking an increase in the weekly seat numbers from the current 65,000 under the air service agreement between India and the UAE, which has not been revised for nearly a decade.

Freezing of the flying rights despite increasing movement of people between India and UAE is not a “healthy environment”, Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates, told CNBC-TV18, an Indian news channel.

The airline is fully engaged with the government to see if there is any way to add more capacity in the future, he added.

Kazim said the current situation requires “more capacity, flexibility, places and routes to be added in the future.”

The opening up the skies will ease up prices, the executive said, adding Emirates welcomes competition from Air India.

“We live in Dubai, where 130 airlines are operating under an open sky policy,” he said. 

Emirates has 29 codeshare partners, Kazim said, adding, “one single airline cannot bring in everything to you, you need to bring in that sort of collaboration and harmony.”

The airline rolled out on Thursday a premium economy cabin on its A380 flight from Mumbai and Bengaluru to Dubai starting October 29.  

(Editing by Seban Scaria seban.scaria@lseg.com)