Business class travel rises 40%

Bangalore: Luxury air travel is becoming big. You may today readily get an economy class ticket but not so a business class one. Most of the domestic airlines are recording between 30% and 40% growth in their business class air travel.
Manoj Chacko, GM-global sales in Kingfisher Airlines, says Kingfisher First has seen exponential growth, with the business class seat occupancy growing at the rate of 30% on a month on month basis.
Two years ago, the business class on most airlines would see a handful of passengers, even as the economy class went full to capacity, says an industry source.
Paramount Airways, which offers business class travel at rates lower than that in other airlines on select routes like Chennai-Bangalore and Coimbatore-Hyderabad, offers 11 first class seats. “On an average our first class has a seat occupancy of around 70% and that number is growing,” said Thiagarajan, managing director, Paramount Airways.
According to him, the demand for business class travel has increased such that the company now operates four flights daily between Chennai-Madurai and Chennai-Coimbatore, which to start with had one flight in operation.
Even, Indian has recorded a growth of 20%-40% in its business class travel, according to company officials.
08/05/07 Anshul Dhamija/Times of India

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Categories: General Aviation May 2007