Paramount Western India operations: Flights to Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Goa soon

Western India will soon see Paramount flights with the Tamil Nadu-based domestic airline major all set to kick off operations to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Goa.

The first of the new flights from Paramount will be a flight between Chennai and Ahmedabad. The foray into the Western region opens up a new route for the airline that would enable it to take advantage of the existing unmet demand in the sector, the airline top brass feel.

Paramount has said that Mumbai, Pune and Goa will soon be added to the network. Currently in the process of finalising the schedule for the Ahmedabad-Chennai flight, the airline major has said that the Chennai-Ahmedabad service would become operational in September 2008.

The new Chennai-Ahmedabad sevice is expected to benefit travelers from other south Indian cities such a Kochi, Madurai and Coimbatore too as they would be able to board connecting flights from Chennai. The company is said to have gone for the Chennai-Ahmedabad service on the realization that a good number of Gujarati traders come for business to various parts of Tamil Nadu and there was a need for an airline service in this route. These apart, passengers from Madurai, Coimbatore and Kochi will also be able to travel to and from Ahmedabad and Mumbai through Chennai.

Operating with Brazilian Embraer planes, Paramount currently boasts of as many as 1,600 flights a month across south India. It offers features to its passengers such as exclusive lounge access at airports, valet services and comfortable seatings.

The airline is also said to be talking to Mumbai International Airport Ltd for a slot to start operations from Mumbai to destinations in south India. The company is also lining up measures to buy at least 17 big planes from both US-based Boeing Co. and Airbus SAS of Toulouse, France, for about $1.5 billion to fuel its international entry in 2011. It currently has five Brazilian Embraer planes and is mulling over buying seven Boeing Dreamliners. This purchase, when it happens, will make Paramount the third Indian customer of the Dreamiliners after Air India and Jet Airways.