Deccan set for international flights from Aug: Capt Gopinath

Chennai, Jan 16 (UNI) Low cost carrier Deccan (formerly Air Deccan) will spread its wings by launching international flights from three destinations in August this year.

Talking to reporters after inaugurating its Maintenance Hangar in Chennai Airport built at a cost of Rs 11.50 crore, Deccan Aviation Limited Executive Chairman G R Gopinath said international flights will be launched from Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.

Under the country's aviation norms, only those airlines which have completed five years of service on domestic route with a fleet strength of at least 20 aircraft are permitted to fly abroad.

Deccan Aviation will be eligible for launching international flights from August this year, Capt Gopinath said and declined to elaborate.

He said Kingfisher-Deccan was shortlisting a few global companies to set up a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Bangalore.

The names of the foreign firms will be finalised in the next couple of months.

Air Deccan was amalgamated with Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines last year.

About the new hangar facility built on a 3,200 sqm area, he said there will be enough space to accommodate an Airbus A-320 and two ATR aircraft at a time.

The facility will provide basic and medium level maintenance checks and protective storage to the combined fleet of Kingfisher- Deccan, apart from functioning as an enclosed repair shop or assembly area.

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