The Hindu Business Line : SIA to ramp up flights to South India

THE forthcoming open sky policy of the Government could prove a major boon for international air passengers travelling from South India, particularly Chennai and Bangalore.

Singapore Airlines (SIA), which will be taking up the Government's limited period open sky offer, is looking at the option of making a change in the aircraft that it operates to Chennai - a move which could see the airline add 250 seats a week between Chennai and Singapore.

In addition, the airline is looking at the option of adding more flights to Bangalore.

"The airline has not finalised its plans. However, we hope to add some flights to Bangalore apart from looking at upgrading the aircraft which we operate on the Chennai route," the airlines General Manager, India, Mr B.K. Ong, told Business Line.

The airlines Senior Vice-President, West Africa and Africa, Mr Tan Chik Quee, said this, however, did not mean that the airline would not look at other opportunities that may arise.

"This is not to say that we may not be looking adding flights to other destinations," Mr Quee said.

Sources said depending on several factors including aircraft availability, SIA would look at operating a Boeing 747-400 aircraft on the Singapore-Chennai sector in place of the Boeing777-300 aircraft which is used on the route currently.

The Government said that it would follow a limited open sky policy from November 1 this year to March 31 next year to ensure that international air travellers do not face a problem in travelling from-and-to India. During the limited open sky period, international airlines will be allowed to either operate more flights or fly larger aircraft into and out of the country.

The Government decision to allow concessions to international airlines was announced in Parliament during the recently concluded Budget session by the Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel.

Incidentally, SIA is not the only international airline that plans to enhance the number of flights that it operates to south India. The German airline, Lufthansa, has announced that it plans to operate a daily flight between Bangalore and Frankfurt.