AirAsia India is now licensed to fly, and a tribute to Tony Fernandes
I'm probably a bit late on this piece of news, though I heard it more than 24 hours back. AirAsia has been given its Air Operator's Permit by the DGCA in India. This makes them the 7th airline to operate in the Indian skies.
AirAsia India received its first Airbus A320 aircraft over a month ago, and interestingly, has been given the registration code VT-ATF (VT for India, A for AirAsia, and TF for Tony Fernandes!). If you don't believe me, here's proof...
Proving flights were flown earlier this month (May 2014).
Mittu Chandilya, CEO of AirAsia India, expects to commence commercial flights within the next three months or so. Unless the new government in India decides to throw more spanners in that particular wheel. I personally think that any time till June / July is a bad time for airlines in India - it is only somewhere in the late second quarter of the fiscal year (that'd be September onwards) that action really begins, with plans for the festival season and December holidays. To begin before that would mean a lot of start up expenditure without much to show as revenue - except maybe fliers paying for the "privilege" and experience of flying AirAsia.
AirAsia India is currently based out of MAA, but is likely to have its first flight out of anywhere except Mumbai, where they don't plan to fly to at all. I'm also hoping to be on that first flight...let's see.
They are also expecting to price their fares at about 35% lower than other airlines, but one doesn't know how (and how much) that will affect the company's bottom lines.
AirAsia India received its first Airbus A320 aircraft over a month ago, and interestingly, has been given the registration code VT-ATF (VT for India, A for AirAsia, and TF for Tony Fernandes!). If you don't believe me, here's proof...
Proving flights were flown earlier this month (May 2014).
Mittu Chandilya, CEO of AirAsia India, expects to commence commercial flights within the next three months or so. Unless the new government in India decides to throw more spanners in that particular wheel. I personally think that any time till June / July is a bad time for airlines in India - it is only somewhere in the late second quarter of the fiscal year (that'd be September onwards) that action really begins, with plans for the festival season and December holidays. To begin before that would mean a lot of start up expenditure without much to show as revenue - except maybe fliers paying for the "privilege" and experience of flying AirAsia.
AirAsia India is currently based out of MAA, but is likely to have its first flight out of anywhere except Mumbai, where they don't plan to fly to at all. I'm also hoping to be on that first flight...let's see.
They are also expecting to price their fares at about 35% lower than other airlines, but one doesn't know how (and how much) that will affect the company's bottom lines.
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