The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 20, No. 4, July, 2015tier cities in the US and the Indian subcontinent are shortened anywherefrom 4 to 6 hours or even better.With the Open Skies policies in the US for international carriers,the Big-3 US carriers are feeling the heat from competition fromthese big Persian Gulf carriers. These new comers have much youngerfleet, better and wider range of in-cabin service (like food, entertainment,and importantly, cabin crew).Besides, the Persian Gulf hubs are hugeshopping/entertainment complexes witheven hotels within the airport for longlayovers. The Business Class service inthese new entrants is far better than whatthe US carriers offer.So, these new Persian Gulf airlines are now luring away internationaltravelers from established US and European carriers such as Lufthansa,KLM, British Airways, Delta, United, and American. These legacyairlines for decades had almost 100% share of the international travelersfrom the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and Africa. Those daysare gone for good.The Big-3 US carriers are complaining to the US government that thePersian Gulf’s Big-3 get unfair financial subsidies from their governments.Not many in the US who understand global travel are convinced.In any case, international travelers in second-tier cities in the Indiansubcontinent and North America now have more travel options, shortergate-to-gate travel time between their home towns in the US to theirdestinations in India, and possibly also less expensive tickets. The incabinservice in US carriers may even improve with competition, and thecompetition will keep the air fare in check.In the man-eat-man world of international air travel business, India’s aircarriers and big airports in India have missed chance to lure internationaltravelers compared to the Persian Gulf’s Big-3 carriers and their hubs likeDubai. On this also, India will be perpetually in the catching-up mode.If we get a nonstop from PIT,an excellent airport for internationalarrivals and departures, toa Persian Gulf city like Dubai, wecan reduce our gate-to-gate traveltime by at least 6 to 8 hours. If youknow elected officials in Pittsburgh, or the airport administrators at PIT,or our regional business leaders, persuade them to look beyond Europeand explore getting a nonstop to one of the Persian Gulf hubs from theSteel City before some other city in our region gets it. •6
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