India mulls new flight plan to cut foreign travel via hubs

The government is examining a proposal to renegotiate foreign flying rights with several countries, including those in the Middle East. The idea is to cut down on so-called sixth-freedom privileges to foreign carriers — carrying passengers from India to various destinations across the globe through airports in their countries, several officials told ET.
A passenger flying to New York from Delhi can either take nonstop flight or via one of the hubs in the Middle East or Europe—this is known as sixth-freedom traffic in aviation parlance. Dubai’s Emirates is among the biggest beneficiaries of such privileges, followed by Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways as well as some European and Southeast Asian carriers.