Fares to the Gulf to get dirt cheap

Mumabi: Passengers flying to West Asia can soon see fares going down by 10 to 30 per cent as Indian domestic operators such as Jet, its low-cost carrier (LCC) Jet Lite and Air Deccan are all set to fly to this market.
“There is a sizeable number interested getting from point to point for the bare minimum fare. This is the reason why we are flying an all-economy class configuration, in the cheapest way possible,” said Gary Kingshott, CEO, JetLite.
That is why JetLite will fly routes such as Calicut to Sharjah, where passengers are not looking at premium service, but cheap price.
Air India Express, which has dominated the lower-end of the West Asian market with 47 flights per week, says it is prepared to take on the challenge.
“If they fly cheap, we will fly cheaper. We have enough margins and can sustain the cost war,” said Jitendra Bhargava, executive director, corporate communications, Air India.
Air Deccan, which planning its Gulf operations from August, meanwhile refused to talk about its strategy. Even foreign LCCs are bracing up to handle the glut in services.
22/01/08 Manisha Singhal/Business Standard

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Categories: Foreign Jan 2008, Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2008