Paramount's new Embraers for Chennai-Madurai skies

BY A CORRESPONDENT
March 24, 2006

Coimbatore-based Paramount Airways is looking to acquire 15 small aircraft from Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer, the world's fourth-biggest aircraft maker. Paramount Airways, which is currently operating 10 daily flights to four cities including Delhi and Chennai, will be expanding to operate two additional daily flights in the Chennai-Madurai sector from next month with connections to Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kochi.

Thiagarajan clarified, "We expect that with the new aircraft joining us, we will be in a position to connect more cities and centres. We will look at multiple options that are available to us." The brand-new 70 seater Embraer aircraft would be operational in the Chennai-Madurai sector, from April 2 at a fare of Rs 3189.

The Chennai-Madurai flight would take of at 7:05 A.M. from Chennai and land at 08:00 A.M, and the afternoon timings would be 2:05 P.M. take off from Chennai to land at 3 P.M.. The Madurai-Chennai flight would leave Madurai at 8:35 A.M. and land at 9:30 A.M. in the morning, and in the afternoon, take off at 3:30 P.M., to reach Chennai at 4:25 P.M.

According to Thiagarajan, the Chennai-Madurai sector had not been doing well for sometime, "But now, the sector had picked up very well with frequent travellers, thanks to good economic development in the region."

Currently, Paramount Airways has 2 aircraft with a capacity of 75 people each. Managing director M Thiagarajan has said that the Embraer deal is in its final stages. He said, "We are in an advanced stage of negotiations with Embraer and hope to conclude a deal as soon as possible." Paramount Airways is also looking to acquire additional planes in the next two years. He said, "We expect the airplanes to join the fleet from September-October onwards. We are working out the financing
options."

Thiagarajan also said that the airline was in discussions with Singapore Airlines Ltd. and other carriers for tie-ups, whereby
Paramount Airways could provide flight connections within India for passengers of carriers like Singapore Airlines.