Winter schedule to cramp runways

New Delhi: A jam-packed winter schedule, accommodating the huge request for flights, means Delhi and Mumbai will daily handle up to 768 and 820 flights respectively this winter.
What’s more, pressure on slots in busy airports has led the ministry to ask domestic airlines to operate flights in the ‘‘red eye’’ period from 11 pm to 5 am. While airlines like Indian Airlines (now AI), SpiceJet, JetLite and Air Deccan say they are yet to start flights in this slot, some like Kingfisher have opted for it. ‘‘We will have a Mumbai-Delhi flight at 11 pm; Delhi-Mumbai at 00.15 am and Mumbai-Ahmedabad at 3.45 am. Their fares will be between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 lower than daytime flights,’’ said a Kingfisher official. Jet Airways too has bagged a few slots - including the Mumbai-Hyderabad flight at 3.15 am, Mumbai-Bangalore at 3.30 am, Bangalore-Mumbai at 11 pm and the Ahmedabad-Mumbai flight at 11.25 pm.
On Monday, the ministry finalised broad slot details and exact timetable is likely to be out on Tuesday.
16/10/07 Saurabh Sinha & Neha Lalchandani/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Oct 2007