ETA Star to invest $1billion in India

Mumbai: ETA Star, one of Dubai’s household names, will invest more than $1 billion in India to cash in on booming sectors such as ports and aviation.
Star Aviation, the Chennai-based private airline firm of the ETA group, is looking to start commercial flight operations in June-July this year, after it received the civil aviation ministry’s permission in December.
The airline aims to first launch itself as a regional carrier in the southern market, connecting cities such as Visakapatanam, Coimbatore and Madurai as also metros such as Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi and Hyderabad.
The company will start operations with 3-4 leased and 2 owned Airbus with single class configuration. Company officials claim that the airline will operate in an all-economy class, on the lines of another southern carrier Paramount Airways.
The group’s plan is to make air travel affordable for the local people, without becoming an all out budget carrier.
The company aims to aggressively explore the possibility of having a pan-India presence in due course. This will happen through induction of more aircraft and increase in the number of connecting routes.
24/01/08 Swaraj Baggonkar/Business Standard

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Categories: Foreign Jan 2008, New Jan 2008, Regional Airlines Jan 2008