|
Air Deccan 
Air Deccan Lanka plans 3 flights to South Thursday, 06 April , 2006, 09:49 New Delhi: Airfares between India and Sri Lanka are set to head southwards with a new low-cost airline - Air Deccan Lanka, set to take wings in the next three months. The new airline plans to start operating daily flights from Colombo to Chennai, Cochin and Coimbatore within three months. Earlier this week it was given permission by the Sri Lankan authorities to start regular services between Sri Lanka and India. Air Deccan has a 48 per cent stake in the new company with the remaining being held by two other entities.The airline, that has already allocated a 180-seater Airbus A-320 aircraft for launch of the new flights, is also examining the option of operating two daily flights from Colombo to Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchi. Sources told Business Line that the promoters have submitted the business and route plans as also the statutory manuals with the Sri Lankan authorities. When the clearances are received from the Sri Lankan regulatory authorities, the airline will approach the Indian authorities for permission to operate the flights. "The fares for the new airline will be firmed up in the next few days. The new entity will follow a model similar to the low-cost model followed here by Air Deccan," sources said. Interestingly, Air Deccan cannot operate on international routes from India as yet. At present the Government rules say that an airline has to operate in the domestic market for five years before it is eligible to fly regular international flights. The airline took to the skies in August 2003 with ATR aircraft that offered regular connections to smaller cities. Exactly a year later, it launched flights on metro routes using an Airbus A-320 aircraft. Air Deccan launches low cost carrier between Chennai, Tuticorin 
Chennai, Apr 01: The port town of Tuticorin was once again brought on the country's air map after a gap of about 15 years with low cost carrier Air Deccan today introducing a daily to and fro flight from here to the town.
A 42 seater ATR 42-500 aircraft would be deployed on the sector. Air craft to the sector was stopped after it was found economically unviable. Speaking at Tuticorin to mark the occasion, Congress MP Dhanushkodi Adithyan expressed happiness that the sustained efforts taken to bring the one time "pearl" town on the air map had borne fruit. He said efforts would be now made to have the airport upgraded to international standards. Air Deccan's chief of corporate planning Krishnasamy said the airline was looking forward to connecting similar important and business destinations in the future. Since its inception in August 2003 with one aircraft, the airline with over 20 today flew to 55 destinations plying 230 flights a day, making the airline the largest network in the country, Air Deccan said in a press release. It was also the only airline connecting some sectors such as Belgaum, Dehradun, Gwalior, Hubli, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Kholapur, Nasik, Rajahmundry and Vijayawada. Air Deccan to have own hangar at Chennai airport Chennai April 01, 2006 Low-cost airline Air Deccan said that its hangar facility at the Chennai airport, to provide basic and medium level maintenance checks for its aircraft, would be ready by this year end. The airline today laid the foundation stone for hangar facility to be built over 62,000 sq ft at the Chennai airport. According to sources, the company is likely to invest about $ 5 million (about Rs 22 crore). Addressing a press conference after the `bhoomi puja', G R Gopinath, managing director, Air Deccan, said that the hangar facility would not only strengthen the engineering infrastructure but also reduce the maintenance cost. It would also help reduce the downtime of the aircraft and increase ontime performance. Currently, the ATR checks and maintenance are carried out at a leased hangar in Hosur and major checks and maintenance on the airbus carried out at overseas facilities. "Sending parts to overseas facilities is very costly as it also involves freight and insurance costs, he added, He added that Chennai would become a hub for south for engineering & maintenance operations. He also said that the airline was hoping to add 1 or 2 more hangars adjacent to the present one so that more repair and maintenance work could be handled as and when the airline acquires more aircraft. The airline is planning to increase the number of Indian engineers for repair and maintenance. Of the present total 400 engineers, one third are expatriates. Air Deccan has 36 flights and 5 aircraft based out of Chennai and will be launching Chennai-Tuticorin daily service from tomorrow onwards. Gopinath said that the airline was planning to add one aircraft per month during the next 100 months. It will be adding 3 aircraft in one lot during next month. The airline would be phasing out 48 seater ATRs gradually and has ordered 30 72-seat ATR aircraft. During this year, it will be adding eight 72-seat ATR aircraft. Gopinath hinted that the airline would launch a service to Rameswaram if the Airports Authority of India builds a low-cost terminal there. Air Deccan launches new base: Chennai/ Kochi March 29, 2006 Air Deccan announced the commencement of its new base at Thiruvananthapuram. This will be the seventh base for Air Deccan after Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The delivery of a brand new Airbus A 320 (180 seater) will be taken on 3rd April 2006 which will be based at Thiruvananthapuram. According to a press release, Thiruvananthapuram is already connected by Air Deccan to Chennai and Bangalore with daily flights. Air sahara india Advertise With Us Or Link Exchange With Us. E-mail us at: todaynetinfo2006@gmail.com |
