India is evaluating demands by various foreign airlines to enhance bilateral air traffic rights in the wake of a massive hike granted to Abu Dhabi following the Jet-Etihad deal. The Union government is planning to evaluate India's international passenger growth and will also see how the existing bilateral rights are being used by Emirates before taking a call on their request, said Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh in London.    

He was responding to questions on the demands made by major Gulf carriers Emirates and Qatar Airways for increasing their air traffic rights which allow them to operate to India. India and Abu Dhabi last month agreed to hike the bilateral air traffic rights from over 13,000 to about 50,000 seats per week.    

On Emirates, Singh, however, said it has not even used the current entitlement fully and was using only 50,000 seats a week as against nearly 55,000 they are entitled to. Asked about the opposition faced by the Jet-Etihad deal, the Minister said SEBI and other agencies have raised certain queries and these are being answered.