Paramount Airways starts Chennai-Delhi flight, plans in-flight mobile services by September 2009

Paramount Airways, the airline based in Chennai in southern India, has expanded its operations to northern India by launching a daily, direct flight from Chennai to Delhi. The carrier uses an Embraer 170 jet, with a seating capacity of 75 passengers, on the Delhi-Chennai route. 

Paramount Airways’ Flight I7-601 leaves Chennai at 16.35 hours and reaches Delhi at 18.55 hours. On the return leg, the flight departs from Delhi at 19.40 hours and reaches Chennai at 21.55 hours.

In a statement, Paramount Airways said that a Delhi-Chennai ticket would cost between Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 and that the airline has priced its tickets “on the upper end of economy-class fare.”  

In addition to daily direct flights, Paramount Airways said it also would connect Delhi to the Indian cities of Coimbatore, Madurai, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tiruchirapalli via Chennai. 

Recently, the airline had started flights to eastern and north-eastern India – to Kolkata, Guwahati and Agartala. 

Paramount Airways also flies from southern India to Ahmedabad, Goa and Pune. 

M Thiagarajan, managing director of Paramount Airways, said in the statement that the carrier’s Delhi operations would connect most of the cities in southern India. “Our plan,” he added, “is to have a national presence by 2010, with flights to major India cities, including Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarh and others through sustained growth.” 

According to Thiagarajan, Paramount Airways enjoys 27% of the aviation market share in southern India. 

The passengers, he said, would enjoy business-class comforts at the cost of economy-class fares with “luxurious seats and a wide variety of gourmet cuisine.” 

Paramount Airways, which now flies to 16 domestic destinations, said it has plans to launch international operations by the end of 2010. 

Meanwhile, Paramount Airways has announced that it will, for the first time in India, provide in-flight mobile services by September 2009.  

Subject to regulatory approvals, passengers who enjoy roaming facilities can receive and make calls from their mobile phones during all phases of the flight, including takeoff and landing, the airline said in the statement.

The current regulations do not allow use of mobiles on flights.