http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2080290.cms
More competition in air
Byas Anand
[ 4 Oct, 2006 0003hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
 
 
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NEW DELHI: Cruising forward on plans to improve India's air connectivity with the rest of the world, the government on Tuesday opened up more international routes — including Thailand, China and Maldives — to the country's private airlines.

Civil aviation ministry on Monday approved proposals by Air Sahara and Jet Airways to mount new international flights to these destinations this winter. In addition, the state-owned Indian Airlines has also been granted access to Maldives besides the permission to add a new flight to Singapore, a senior government official told ToI.

While Air Sahara has got the green signal to start flights to Guangzhou (China), Colombo and Male (Maldives), Jet Airways has been designated as the new Indian carrier for operating flights on the India-Thailand route.

Indian, on the other hand, has bagged rights to operate a daily flight on the Bangalore-Male route and a new four-times-a-week operation on the Hyderabad-Singapore sector, the official said.

"All these flights would be operate in the current winter schedule and are as part of government's efforts to liberalise international flight rights. The addition of these new fights will open up new avenues for the airlines and increase competition, thereby bringing down air fares," a government official said.

Tuesday's permision would make Air Sahara the only private Indian carrier to fly past the Great Wall, while Jet will be the only private airline to land in Thailand under liberalised air connectivity regime.

Air Sahara, sources said, plans to deploy a wide-bodied Boeing 767 aircraft on the Delhi-Guangzhou route, and is already in talks with several Chinese local carriers to ink interline arrangements to offer connections across China.
The aircraft will offer 189 seats in three-class configuration Economy, Business and First class.

While Jet has got nod for Thailand in this year's winter schedule, it has sought approval to spread wings to cover more routes like Canada, South Africa and China from 2007 summer.

Introduction of new routes has been timed along with arrivals of its mint-fresh Airbus and Boeing jets next year. Indian is exploring the option of operating flights to South Africa, Australia and Hong Kong from next winter.