Air Deccan launches second flight to Tirupati

Hyderabad, July 7 (UNI) Low cost carrier Air Deccan today launched its second flight from Hyderabad to Tirupati, providing a convenient option to devotees for going to Tirumala.

The new flight will leave here at 0610 hrs and reach Tirupati at 0730 hrs enabling pilgrims to plan for a return after visiting the hill shrine the same day by the existing Air Deccan flight leaving Tirupati at 1535 hrs.

With an estimated 15,000 people visiting the Tirumala everyday, Air Deccan Chief Corporate Planning R Krishna Swamy told accompanying mediapersons that Air Deccan was planning to connect other major cities, including Chennai, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam to the temple city in future.

The airline which has already garnered 19 per cent of the domestic market ferrying over four million passengers from 55 airports through 265 flights a day, also plans to introduce a flight from Rajahmundry to Chennai.

Plans are afoot to link Tirupati-Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam even as the airline sought to connect Hyderabad with more cities, including two-tier town in its bid to ''empower every Indian to fly.'' The airlines, which also introduced today the fuel surcharge of Rs 210 in the wake of the hike of petroleum products was likely to review the surcharge component in the coming weeks, Mr Krishna Swamy said indicating of possibility of a further increase.

UNI DB DKS KP2044