Budget carrier soon from Frankfinn

25 May, 2007: Air Deccan will soon have competition in the budget segment. Frankfinn Aviation Services plans to start low-cost ariline services with a new company called Air Frankfinn.

According to reports, Air Frankfinn will be launched in 2009. In the run-up to the launch of Air Frankfinn, the company will go for an IPO to raise resources. Frankfinn Aviation is currently into training manpower for the airline industry, grooming air hostesses, and cabin crew.

A report said that Air Frankfinn will start off with five aircraft - three big planes and two small ones. The company will have some services offered by full-fare airlines, while offering cheaper fares.

With a proposed fleet of 20-30 aircraft in three years, the company promises serious action in the open skies. The company is expected to file an application to the government to launch Air Frankfinn in a few months. Currently, it is in the process of appointing an aviation consultant to take the process forward.

As of now, India's booming aviation sector is still turbulent. While Kingfisher Airlines, Air Deccan, SpiceJet, Paramount Airways, GoAir and IndiGo Airlines are just about hanging in there, two airline which started operations recently, namely Indus Air and MDLR Airlines, are already in trouble. Air Deccan, the market leader in the low-budget space is making huge losses and is planning to sell stake to raise money. No player, in the meantime, has succeeded in posing a serious challenge to Jet Airways, which has seen good growth in the past few years.