Bahrain Air fares to be 15-30 per cent lower:MD

Kochi, May 27 (UNI) Fares on Bahrain Air's Kochi sector will be about 15 to 30 per cent lower than those of the full fare airlines, Bahrain Air Managing Director Ibrahim Al Hamer said today.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Al Hamer said the newly launched airline was a ''premium low fare carrier''. Depending on the season, the airline fares to Kochi would be 15 to 30 per cent lower than the regular airlines, he said.

Describing India as a very important market for any airline, he said Bahrain Air hoped to cover a second destination in the country by early next year.

The airline's first flight to India landed at the Nedumbaserry International Airport, near here, yesterday. The airline would presently operate thrice a week to Kochi. By October this year, it would have a daily flight between Kochi and Bahrain, Mr Al Hamer added.

''Our service to Kochi is our first step into the lucrative market of India, particularly the southern region, to serve the increasing demand from travelling public and in particular from the Indian community residing in Bahrain and other GCC countries,'' he said.

Bahrain Air, which presently touched eight destinations totally, would launch its service to Syria and Saudi Arabia by next month. By the end of the year, it would also fly to Kuwait in the GCC and Dhaka and Kathmandu in the Indian sub-continent.

The carrier also planned to increase its fleet from two to six aircraft by 2009. It was also planning to purchase its own aircraft.

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