OLD adversaries British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have been joined by a third UK carrier, bmi, in the battle to operate new flights to India.
The three airlines are appearing at a two-day Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) hearing in London.
Each of the carriers will try to convince the CAA panel that they should be permitted to operate the 21 extra weekly UK-India flights that are now available.
Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson, BA chief executive Rod Eddington and bmi chairman Sir Michael Bishop will be giving evidence.
BA operates 19 weekly flights to India and the new flights are available following the drawing up this autumn of a new UK-India air agreement.
Of the 21 new services, no more than seven can be to Delhi, no more than seven to Mumbai (Bombay), and the other seven split between other major Indian cities.
BA wants to take all of the new services, while Virgin is battling to take over the maximum number of Delhi and Mumbai flights as well as four split between Bangalore and Chennai (Madras).
Bmi wants to operate seven flights to Mumbai, three to Bangalore, and three to Chennai.
The CAA can split the 21 flights between the airlines any way it wishes.
A decision is expected in a few weeks.
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