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AVIATION - MUMBAI VIENNA FLIGHTS |
Austrian Airlines Mumbai-Vienna flights soon
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BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
18th August, 2005: Austrian Airlines is planning to commence operations to Mumbai from Vienna, under an attempt to tap the growing aviation potential of the country. The carrier intends to operate five flights a week to Mumbai, starting September 1, 2005.
"The successful operations in Delhi has prompted us to extend the operations to Mumbai. We are planning to launch our services with fares and offers that should make the destination attractive for both the corporate and the general sectors," Austrian Airlines Executive Vice President (Sales and Passenger System) told reporters in Mumbai.
The new route would be served by a long-haul Boeing 767 with 36 business and 209 economy classes. The inaugural fares are priced at Rs 19,900 for return fare ticket to Europe in the economy class, while the carrier has rolled out a 'Companion Offer' for business class. The companion offer entails one free ticket with the purchase of every business class ticket.
The carrier is looking at an option of increasing the Mumbai frequency to seven flights per week, beginning with the summer schedule of 2006. It was also looking at adding a third destination in its circuit and was looking at a location in southern India in the second half of 2006. Chennai, Bangalore or Hyderabad are the likely destinations that the carrier looking at.
The airline has a code sharing agreement with Air India for flights out of Delhi.
After Delhi and Mumbai, the company will soon launch its third sector of flights from either Chennai or Bangalore. Austrian Airlines is a part government and part financial institution funded airline, and had recorded an all time high passenger load factor of 81 per cent. The company had registered a 16 per cent increase in passenger revenues in July.
The company had earlier shifted its headquarters to Mumbai from Delhi. The reason for shifting base to Mumbai was due to the fact that western India, that is Pune and Gujarat, contributed a substantial amount of business along with southern India.
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
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