In Brief

BA To Start Flights From Bangalore

British Airways (BA) will be commencing operations from Bangalore with five flights a week from this month and will also increase its flights from Mumbai and Chennai. There will be a double daily operation from Mumbai and six flights per week from Chennai. The airline has also announced special promotional fares from this month for its passengers travelling from India to UK. The special promotional fares available to passengers till March 31, 2006 from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore to Heathrow Airport, London comprises of reduction in all four cabins, First, Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller. A special return fare of Rs 19,000 in World Traveller cabin is also part of this attractive special promotional fares package. Alok Sawhney, Commercial Manager, India, British Airways stated, "Our special offers are being welcomed by business and leisure travellers alike. This offer is valid for flights not only to the UK but also to Europe, USA and Canada. From this month we are increasing our flights from India to the UK and commencing operations from Bangalore. This is in line with our commitment to serve the Indian passenger with seamless customer service and better connections." The special promotional fares offers the passengers the flexibility to return anytime within one year of their outbound travel. However, tickets for this promotional fares have to be booked before October 31, 2005.

A-I Announces Special Fares To UK, Europe And USA

A price war appears to have broken out among airline majors operating on overseas routes. Close on the heels of British Airways' announcement of a special fare of Rs. 19,000 on India-London route, Air India has also slashed fares on its flights from India to the UK, Europe and the US by nearly 25 per cent. The country's international carrier has, in fact hit the lowest fare - Rs. 18, 990 - on its flights to London/Paris/Frankfurt against its previous fares of Rs. 25,000 - Rs. 28,000. Similarly, on the New York/Newark/ Chicago/Los Angeles routes, Air India has dropped fares to Rs. 37,990 from Rs. 45,000 - Rs. 55,000 earlier. At present, fares of other non-stop flights operated by airlines like Virgin are around Rs. 26,000 on the India-London route. Industry observers said Air India's move is in anticipation of the emerging competition on international routes. While private domestic airlines Jet Airways and Air Sahara are scheduled to fly overseas from this month, US airline Continental is also scheduled to fly six day a week on the India-New York route starting November 15. While Jet has not announced its fare for the India-London route, speculation is rife it would hover around Rs. 19,000. Likewise, Air Sahara, in alliance with American Airlines has already announced its introductory fares to Delhi from Chicago beginning November 15 at US$ 499 (around Rs. 22,000).

International Terminals Will Double Capacity

According to the civil aviation minister, Praful Patel, the flight handling capacity of the Delhi and Mumbai airports could be doubled with the introduction of new Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures. The minister said that the number of flights handled per hour by the Delhi and Mumbai airports each was now between 27 and 32. "This capacity could be doubled once the new ATC procedures are in place", Patel said.

Patel added that the report of a consultant, appointed to increase the flight handing capacity of the airports, had been received by the civil aviation ministry. Currently, of the two runways at Delhi airport, only one is being used for arrivals and departures while the other runway is being used as a route for the plan to taxi off after arrival", a Delhi airport official said.

Construction is underway for a new `route' at the Delhi airport where planes can taxi off swiftly after landing and this will ensure that both the runways can be used for arrival and departure, the official said. Sources said that in this scenario, the flight handling capacity would increase dramatically.

"The time gap between two planes landing can be reduced by half if the plane can be reduced by half if the plane can taxi off swiftly after landing. This will happen once the new `route' is ready", he added.