Air Deccan chief against airport monopoly

Bangalore, Aug 20 (UNI) The no frills, low cost airliner Air Deccan has voiced against monopoly of airports in the country, either in public or private sector, and called for alternate airports in major cities.

Air Deccan Managing Director Capt G R Gopinath told UNI that with the country witnessing an unprecedented growth in the aviation sector, there was a need for second airport in cities to allow competition.

Ground infrastructure would pose a major problem and the country should go in for major investments in this area to commensurate with the growth in the number of air passengers, he added.

Touching nearly half a million passengers, the airliner was looking to end the year carrying 7.5 to eight lakh passengers a month.

Soaring to new heights, the three-year-old airliner, which caused a flutter in the aviation industry by achieving a record growth rate and touching a share of 21.8 per cent (June) to emerge second beating the national carrier Indian, has no looking back. Capt Gopinath said the gap with Indian would continue to widen as ''we add more destinations and more aircraft. It's an achievement that Air Deccan, with half the fleet size of Indian and one third of passenger capacity, was able to beat it.'' Compared to the Boeings and Airbus fleet of Indian, Air Deccan had 22 ATRs and 14 Airbus aircraft, he added.

MORE UNI VK GD SKB0925