Hyderabad, April 30: The Indian government’s advisory against travelling to USA, Canada, France, New Zealand and Mexico, where cases of swine flu were reported has hit the aviation sector hard.
Around 20 per cent cancellations were reported from Hyderabad itself.
Sources said the dip in bookings is set to increase in the next few weeks if the disease is not contained in the affected countries.
Many people generally travel to the US during summer season to spend holidays with the family members settled there.
Generally, travel agencies witness huge business during the summer with around 20,000 bookings. Already affected by the drop in corporate travel due to recession, agencies expect the number of bookings to decrease by 5,000.
“Due to recession, not many corporate executives fly now,” said Mr Vijay Mohan Raj, managing committee member of Travel Agents Association of India. “Many students don’t opt for studies in the US too. So it has all waned down to business that comes when people go on vacations abroad. Now the swine flu has cast a shadow on vacation trips, ruining our hopes,” he said.
However, Air India had a different story to tell. Officials of the airlines, which has two flights to the US from Hyderabad, said that no cancellations were reported citing the swine flu threat since most passengers do not alter travel plans at the Eleventh hour. “No cancellations were reported due to swine-flu,” a spokesperson of Air India said. “We hope the situation will be brought under control soon as it is in the summer that airlines get good business.”
According to sources, airlines were unhappy with the travel advisory given by the Central government. “Only Mexico was severely hit by swine flu, but the government went on to include the US and many other countries too in the list, scaring the people,” an executive in a private airline said. “The advisory is a big blow to the airline industry which is already reeling due to global recession.”
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