Short-haul flyers shun new airport

Bangalore: Fears are coming true. The new Bengaluru International Airport appears to be putting off travellers flying on short-haul routes — those that have a flight time between 30 minutes and an hour.
Reason: the airport is around 40 km from the city and the accessibility is poor. Most are dreading the commute to and from the airport and the expense involved. The rail and road options could be more attractive for many.
According to a senior official of a low-cost airline, ticket sales for April and May between Bangalore and Hyderabad, Kochi, Chennai and Coimbatore have dropped between 30% and 35% compared to the same period last year.
"Passengers having to fly out of the city from the new airport are thinking twice if their chosen destinations are on the short-haul sectors."
Over 40% of the flights out of Bangalore are to short-haul destinations.
Observers say airlines may now have to rethink their short-haul strategy. "If people find train and bus travel to be a smarter option, then airlines will have to discontinue certain short-haul routes or rationalize their frequency on some," said an industry observer.
28/02/08 Anshul Dhamija/Times of India

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Categories: airports Feb 2008, New Feb 2008