The Hindu Business Line : Air Arabia to fly to Kochi from May 1

The airline plans to operate four flights a week initially, which would be increased to daily flights from May 12, Mr Rohit Ramachandran, Country Manager, Air Arabia, said here on Tuesday.

The fares would be 40 per cent lower than those offered by conventional airlines; it would be as low as Rs 4,200 for those who book in advance.

The fare structure, he explained, is based on supply and demand and therefore booking early will allow customers to take advantage of the lowest available fares.

The company offers travellers the very best in comfort on a 162-seater, brand-new A 320 airbus, he added.

Kochi is a prime destination for Indians working in the Gulf region and the new service will provide more options for business travellers and increase tourist inflow to Kerala from West Asia, he said.

Plans are also afoot to introduce additional flights to several Indian destinations as well as Kabul and Istanbul from Sharjah shortly.

"We have asked the Government to provide more number of destinations in India on a reciprocal basis, where Indian Airlines operates and the Government is very positive in this regard," he said.

The company is currently operating with five planes, which will be increased to eight by end-2006.

For visitors to the United Arab Emirates, Air Arabia offers a convenient visit-visa service for all passengers arriving in Sharjah.

With the addition of Kochi and then Jaipur later in May, Air Arabia will operate 26 flights a week to India, Mr Ramachandran said.