|
AVIATION -AIR INDIA EXPRESS |
A-I Express to commence Doha, Bahrain services from April 2006
|
|
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
15th August 2005: Air-India Express, the budget carrier of India’s Air-India (A-I),
has informed the Kerala government that it will commence budget flights to Doha,
Bahrain and Kuwait, starting from April 2006. The flights would be operated from
Kochi, Mumbai and New Delhi and slated to be cheaper by 25 per cent, compared
with the regular services.
The carrier intends to operate the service using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with
around 100 seats to be made available for passengers from Bahrain. The
introduction of budget flight would result in the cancellation of the regular flights
to India, A-I Manager (Bahrain and Jordan) M N Naik said.
The budget carrier, which has its hub in Abu Dhabi, had started its operation in
May this year and provides low-budget services to Indians in the Gulf, mainly from
Kerala.
The A-I Express service will run a daily flight to Kochi touching Bahrain and Doha,
and a weekly flight to Mumbai and is also mulling of starting a service to New
Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Finance and Excise Minister Vakkom Purushothaman also
confirmed this in the state assembly.
Answering to question in the house, the minister also said that the government
has brought to the problems faced by passengers on the Kerala-Gulf sector to the
notice of notice of the Civil Aviation Minister.
The Civil Aviation ministry has been asked to increase the number of flights
between Kerala and the Gulf, especially during the festival and holiday seasons,
he said.
The government was also going ahead with its plan of starting a flight company
with private participation. The Cochin International Airport Company has been
asked to prepare a report in this regard, which was expected to be ready within
three months, he added.
The Kerala government would also invite representatives of all airlines operating
from the state to discuss fare hikes and additional flights to clear peak season
rush, particularly to the Middle East.
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
