Air Deccan launches Chennai-Tuticorin flights

First scheduled airline to operate to flights to Tuticorin

BY A CORRESPONDENT
April 3, 2006

Low-cost airline Air Deccan has put Tuticorin on its expanding flight network with the launch of Tuticorin-Chennai flights. The airline claimed in a press release that this will benefit travellers to and from Tuticorin, a prominent busines center in South India. Air Deccan will use a 42-seater ATR 42-500 aircraft to ply this sector.

Air Deccan opens Rajahmundry-Hyderabad flights Air Deccan has launched flights from Hyderabad to Rajahmundry. Rajahmundry has been unconnected by air for the last few years. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy traveled to Rajahmundry from Hyderabad on the inaugural flight. An ATR 72-500, 72 seater aircraft has been deployed on this sector. Said Capt Gopinath, Managing Director Air Deccan: Air connectivity is the key to economic growth. Cities like Rajahmundry are the back bone of the country’s economy and Air Deccan is committed to link all the major unconnected regional towns to the metros and make air travel accessible and affordable to ensure equitable economic growth. Air Deccan will connect more regional towns in Andhra Pradesh and I request the Chief Minister to upgrade and build airports in all the strategic and backward regional cities of the state."

Air Deccan claimed that it is moving closer to its vision of empowering every Indian to fly. The airline is also planning to aggressively add more routes in the coming weeks and months.

Among those present at the launch of the Tuticorin-Chennai flight were member of parliament Dhanushkodi Athithan and Air Deccan Corporate Planning chief Krishanswamy.

Air Deccan tickets for th Tuticorin-Chennai flights can be booked online at the Air Deccan website, Reliance webstores, call centers, travel agents, Club HP petrol pumps and airport counters.

Air Deccan also announced the opening of bookings on its ATR flights - South India only, for travel between 1 June 2006 and 31 August 2006. The bookings for ATR sectors across South India have opened on April 2. Bookings for all Airbus sectors are already open for travel till August 2006.

Across 55 destinations, Air Deccan flies 230 flights a day. Air Deccan claims that it has the largest route network in the country. It is the only airline flying to Belgaum, Dehradun, Gwalior, Hubli, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Kohlapur, Nasik, Rajahmundry and Vijaywada. Till date Air Deccan has flown over 3.7 million passengers.