Cricket fans fly high on private charters

Mumbai: After pubs and multiplexes, it seems to be the turn of private charter firms to rake in the big bucks. Select cricket fans from Mumbai are spending eight times the cost of a business class return air ticket from London to fly to Chandigarh to watch India take on arch-rival Pakistan in the World Cup semi-finals at Mohali.
A family, which is in the power generation business, has hired a six-seater Citation Jet from Airnetz Aviation, a private charter company in Vile Parle, for Rs 10 lakh.
Nikesh Goswami, of Leo Air Charters, said they would be ferrying cricket fans on board a similar six-seater business jet to Chandigarh on Wednesday.
Mumbai airport sources said private charter firms and private jet owners are awaiting clearance from the Indian Air Force that manages Chandigarh airport.
Domestic carriers are also operating additional flights to Chandigarh to accommodate the rush. Jet Airways said it would operate an additional flight each from Mumbai and Delhi to Chandigarh.Kingfisher Airlines and low-cost carrier GoAir had already announced additional flights to the Punjab city.
30/03/11 Soubhik Mitra/Hindustan Times

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Mar 2011