Sunday, May 10, 2009
Gulf News
Dubai: Kingfisher Airlines, a leading Indian carrier run by flamboyant businessman Vijay Mallya, will start flying from Indian technology hub Bangalore to Dubai from June 25.
The airline had earlier planned to start services to the UAE in March, but the global economic slowdown delayed the launch.
"The conditions have improved now. It is a good time to connect Dubai and Bangalore with the summer travel season starting," said Vinay Nambiar, Kingfisher's area manager for the UAE, Qatar and Oman.
Kingfisher also plans to start flights to Abu Dhabi and a couple of other destinations in the Gulf region, he said.
The daily Dubai services will be operated using an A320 aircraft. Flights from Bangalore will depart at 6.30pm and land in Dubai at 8.55pm local time. The return flight will leave Dubai at 11.30pm and reach Bangalore at 4.45am.
"The early morning arrival will enable passengers to reach other destinations within India using our connections," Nambiar said.
The four-year-old airline has expanded its route network significantly since acquiring Air Deccan in 2007.
Kingfisher has 87 aircraft in its fleet and has 438 flights daily to 72 destinations in India and abroad. It operates 27 direct flights to Indian destinations from Bangalore. It now enjoys a 27 per cent share of the domestic market, according to Nambiar.
Indian carriers have added several services between India and the UAE this year, a trend that contrasts sharply with airlines cutting services in other parts of the world amid falling travel demand in the global recession.
Jet Airways last month launched daily direct services between Chennai and Dubai and also increased frequency on the Dubai-Mumbai routey.
Air India Express launched Tiruchirapally and Chennai routes from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
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