Airlines gear up to meet demands of the summer traveller

New Delhi: Airlines in India are gearing up to meet the demands of the summer traveller by introducing new flights and adding destinations to a growing network. Offbeat destinations like Leh and perennial favourite Goa will see more flights added as carriers ready for the summer rush.
The peak summer season starts from the first week of April and runs through mid-June.
Experts estimate a 20 per cent rise in domestic tourists this year with India exiting the World Cup Cricket Championship earlier than widely expected. While the April-June quarter in 2006 flew about 7.5 million, it is likely to add another 1.5 million this time, predicted Kapil Kaul, an analyst with Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).
Air Deccan that recently added Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, will start a new Airbus flight to Leh from New Delhi mid-May to tap the summer tourist. Kingfisher Airlines will add an additional flight to Goa from Mumbai around the same time.
SpiceJet will be adding a new flight from Mumbai to Raipur in Chattisgarh, and increasing the number of flights from New Delhi to Srinagar, Varanasi and Goa. Other airlines will finalise their summer schedules in the coming weeks.
CAPA's Kaul said airlines were just beginning to unlock the potential on routes frequented by tourists.
08/04/07 Tarun Shukla/Hindustan Times

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Categories: General Aviation Apr 2007