The Hindu Business Line : More flights, better on-board services promised

New Delhi, Dec 31 More flights, enhanced route network and greater on board comfort. These are the promises made to passengers for 2008 by the domestic airline industry be it the state-owned Air India or the low service Indigo Airlines.

The Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, Mr V. Thulasidas, told Business Line that during 2008 the airline planned to not only launch a non-stop flight between Bangalore and San Francisco but also planned to operate some of the existing flights with the more modern Boeing 777-300 Extended Range aircraft.

“Our flight AI-111 flying on the Delhi-London-New York route would be operated with a Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft. This is just one of the route on which this new aircraft would be deployed.

In addition, we also plan to operate a majority of the flights between Delhi and Mumbai with the newly inducted Airbus A-321 aircraft, which would also be used to operate flights to Dubai,” Mr Thulasidas said.

The B-777-300 ER and Airbus A-321 have been purchased by the airline as part of the 111 aircraft deal approved by the Government. While the B 777-300 ER has a three class configuration, the A-321 has an in-flight entertainment system that allows passengers to watch Bollywood and Hollywood movies and sitcoms among other entertainment options.

The low cost airline, IndiGo, which is to increase its fleet strength by around 50 per cent during the year, plans to enhance its route network by adding flights to another two-three cities, the President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bruce Ashby, said.

“The cities which would be added to the airline route map during 2008 are yet to be firmed up,” Mr Ashby said.

The Madurai-based Paramount Airways would also look to increase frequency of flights to existing destinations and add new sectors to its network, the Managing Director, Mr M. Thiagarajan, said.

Jet Airways, apart from increasing its presence in India would start services between India and the Gulf region from January early next year, officials said.

The biggest milestone that Kingfisher Airlines is looking forward to during 2008 is to not only give the passenger the option of flying them to continental US and some European destinations but also flying with Air Deccan to Gulf and South East Asia, an airline spokesman said.