SpiceJet to operate direct flights between Kochi and Dehi

Kochi, Aug 17 (UNI) Low-cost airline SpiceJet will start the second direct flight from Kochi to New Delhi on August 29, and plans to widen its services to other domestic and foreign destinations in the near future.

The first service in this route was inaugurated on August 15.

Talking to newspersons at Aluva near here, SpiceJet Director Ajay Singh said the airline would connect Kochi with other tier II and tier I cities in the immediate future.

''To increase the ambit of service, the airline was awaiting permission to start services to foreign destinations next year, if the government reduces the period of five years to three years for the domestic airline to fly abroad,'' Mr Singh added.

As part of its fleet expansion programme, the airline would induct 12, 737-800 aircraft to existing fleet of 14 aircraft by the end of the next calendar year, he said.

Mr Singh said the airline would also induct 737-900 aircraft in November which would be the largest domestic aircraft in the country.

Praising the new aviation policy, Mr Singh said the policy would give an impetus to the Indian aviation sector as more connectivity between tier I and tier II cities and among tier II destinations would be encouraged.

Mr Singh said the airline had flown over 4.75 million passengers in the last two years, and achieved nine per cent on-time performance in the Indian skies.

Besides, the airline recorded an avarage load factor of 86 per cent and achieved 99.5 per cent flight dispatch reliability in the industry, he noted.

Reposing faith in the ariport infrastructure, SpiceJet Executive Chairman Siddhanta Sharma said the country had good small airports and they were equipped to meet the challenges on hand.

He said the airline was also planning to focus on ancilliary services along with in-flight promotions such as brand promotions, selling food on-board and on-board courier.

In the coming years the airline would also concentrate on hotel booking services, travel insurances and cargo services, Mr Sharma added.

The Delhi-based airline had ten per cent share in the Indian aviation industry and was operating over 89 daily flights in 15 cities like New delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jammu, Srinagar, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bangalore, Goa, Varanasi and Kochi.

Cochin International Airport Limited Managing Director Sriram Bharat said the Nedumbassery airport would be developed into a 'hub-airport' for people in Kozhikode, Coimbatore and near by regions.

He said around 350 airports would be privatised in the coming years, and this would see an amazing development in the aviation sector.

UNI