Four regional carriers set to take off

Flying could soon become the preferred mode of travel for people in small towns and cities throughout the country, with the government expected to give its approval for four regional airlines soon.
According to sources, three operators would be given licences for the southern region - Air Dravida, Star Aviation and Trans India - while MDLR Airlines would be the sole northern region player, to begin with.
Ramachandran Iyer, executive director for Air Dravida, says his airline would be a full-fare one.
Air Dravida plans to connect Madurai, Coimbatore, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Hyderabad with Chennai. It would also fly between Hyderabad and Bangalore.
Unlike Air Dravida, though, Star Aviation and Trans India are still firming up their plans. Ashok Bhushan of Star Aviation said his company had not decided on the routes yet, but planned to get five 70-seater aircraft, whether on lease or through purchase.
Trans India's Bijoy Mechery said the company was still looking for funding ($30-100 million) and operations were expected to begin only late next year. But, both Bhushan and Mechery said their operations would be value-for-money and not necessarily low-cost.
Harshvardhan, a director with MDLR Airlines, said his company was looking to convert its existing non-scheduled carrier licence into that of a regional airline to avail of the parking fee waiver and lower fuel costs.
06/11/07 Sindhu Bhattacharya/DNA Money/Sify.com

To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline

Categories: New Nov 2007, Regional Airlines Nov 2007