Northeast Asian airlines seek India connections to diversify away from SE Asia, China competition

Aviation has yet to define India's role in the trans-Pacific growth story. Geography allows connections from North America to India via Europe, the Gulf and - more quietly - Northeast Asia. Northeast Asian airlines have a theoretical advantage linking India with the North American west coast. The challenge they face is fitting a square peg into a round hole.

The presence of Northeast Asian airlines is large in North America but small in India, while Southeast Asian airlines are small in North America but large in India. Cathay Pacific, and to a lesser extent All Nippon Airways, are in the strategic sweet spot, relatively. Growing China-India relations could result in Chinese airlines playing a larger role in this market. The different transit regions available mean that there is competition between partnerships and joint ventures. These pressures could grow as the Indian market continues expanding.