The Hindu Business Line : Low-cost Kuwaiti airline begins service to India

, A new low-cost airline from Kuwait, Jazeera Airways, has launched services to Delhi and Mumbai. The airline, that uses a 169-seater Airbus A-320 aircraft, has started operating six times a week to Mumbai and three times a week to Delhi.

Addressing a press conference to announce the launch of the new flights, the airline's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Marwan Boodai, said that Jazeera Airways would like to start operating flights to Hyderabad and Cochin. "We would like to offer flights to many more destinations here, apart from looking at increasing flights to Delhi and Mumbai," the CEO said.

Meeting in Delhi

Incidentally, officials of India and Kuwait are to meet in Delhi later this month for two days of talks and a positive outcome could see an increase in the number of seats that the designated airlines of the two countries can operate.

At present, Air India, Indian and Kuwait Airways are the airlines offering flights between India and Kuwait. The airlines of the respective countries are currently allowed to operate 5,200 seats a week in each direction.

While Jazeera Airways is a low-cost airline, officials were reluctant to say what fares were being charged for travel between India and Kuwait. "We offer low fares. Our fares fluctuate and are seasonal. However, the earlier a passenger books the lower they are likely to pay for the journey. It is difficult to say what the maximum and minimum fare would be," said Mr Boodai.

The airline offers 24/7 online booking and payment as also online seat reservations. Its studies have shown that West Asia is the largest market for Indians travelling abroad with about 34 per cent of passengers travelling to the region.