Dubai: Kingfisher Airlines Announces Launch of UAE-India Flights

Report by Shodhan Prasad and Rajesh Sequeira
Pics by Sujay Bendore
Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai

Dubai, Jun 25: Kingfisher Airlines, India's only Five Star airline rated by Skytrax, today announced its entry into the Middle East connecting India and the UAE, as part of its strategy of expanding its global footprint and adding new destinations to its international route network.

In a message sent to commemorate the launch of this new international route of Kingfisher Airlines, Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman and CEO, Kingfisher Airlines Limited, said, “Ever since its launch, Kingfisher Airlines has raised the bar with many market-firsts and innovations that have completely redefined the whole experience of flying. Given the strong linkages between the UAE and India, the launch of this new route will mean that travelers will now have the option to enjoy the award-winning Kingfisher Experience.”

Addressing the media at a press conference at the launch of its daily direct flights from Dubai to Bangalore, Siva Ramachandran, Vice President-Global Sales, Kingfisher Airlines Limited said: “I am delighted to announce the commencement of flights between Dubai and Bangalore which marks our entry into the UAE market for the first time. Dubai is the airline’s fourth international destination after London, Colombo and Dhaka. The flights between Dubai and Bangalore will be operated using the A320 family of aircraft featuring Kingfisher Class, the premium economy service from Kingfisher Airlines. What is unique to Kingfisher Airlines is that it has one of the largest networks in India connecting over 50 destinations from Bangalore which will assure seamless connectivity to our guests from the UAE who intend to fly to practically any major Indian city.”

Describing the launch of Kingfisher Airlines’ flight as an important development that further solidifies the strong links between the two vibrant and emerging economies and two vital entities, Mr. Richard Talian, Vice President, Strategy, Dubai Airports said, “While Dubai is the business and leisure capital of the region, Bangalore is the heart of India’s multi-billion dollar IT sector. And whereas Dubai Airports is considered one the world’s leading aviation hubs, Kingfisher Airlines is one of India’s fastest growing international carriers.”

The award-winning Kingfisher Experience includes onboard comforts so that guests are able to rest in the roomiest seats in the sky with a wide seat pitch and ample room to stretch their legs. Moreover, the dining options ensure that guests have an ample spread with a choice of mouth-watering options and a perfect accompaniment from a selection of beverages on board. The In-Flight Entertainment system will ensure enthralling world-class entertainment with a personal system on every seat featuring the latest blockbuster movies, English and Hindi TV programmes and Kingfisher Radio.

Ramachandran highlighted that the newly launched flights offer the best-in-class experience amongst the narrow-body products serving this route and this coupled with ideal and convenient timings, will offer travelers on this route a better option. “Our aim is to offer unprecedented convenience and comfort to our customers, both Indian expats as well as tourists from both countries. Thanks to our very competitive fares and Kingfisher Airlines’ vast and unparalleled domestic network in India, the initial response to the launch of these new flights has been extremely encouraging and we look forward to rapidly consolidating our market share on this new international route.”

The flight will take off from Dubai at 10:10 pm and reach Bangalore at 3:45 am, the following day. Kingfisher Airlines flights operate from Terminal 1 of Dubai Airport. The flights are conveniently timed with the flight from Bangalore leaving at 6:15 pm and reaching Dubai at 8:55 pm, local time.

Guests flying in to Bangalore from Dubai on Kingfisher Airlines will now have the added advantage of having very conveniently timed onward connections to many domestic destinations in India with almost immediate connections from Bangalore to Mangalore, Goa, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, Kolkata, Hubli, Belgaum, Nagpur, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad and all major metros in India. In addition, guests will also have the option of conveniently timed onward connections on Kingfisher Airlines flights to international destinations like Colombo and Dhaka.

Bangalore is ideally placed as a transit hub for travelers flying from Belgaum, Chennai, Calicut, Coimbatore, Hubli, Kochi, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Vijaywada into Dubai as it offers easy connectivity, thanks to the fact that it has a minimum connect time. Outbound travelers connecting with this flight of Kingfisher Airlines will not have to change or transfer from one airport terminal to another as the domestic and international sections are less than 100 meters away from each other.

Kingfisher Airlines caters to all segments of the air travel ranging from low-fare service-Kingfisher Red, to the premium economy service-Kingfisher Class, to the luxurious Kingfisher First.

Speaking on the subject Rajesh Sequeira of NRI Forum questioned them on the Mangalore sector for which the officials said it would be in their top priority. Rajesh also put up a question on the Hotel connections arrangement they have and they said that they have all these facilities arranged with a good grade hotels. The other feature Kingfisher has as an add on is a baggage allowance of 40 kg. each on both way.

The press Conference was held at the Spice Ball Room of Atlantis Hotel, Dubai on thursday June 25, 2009.

This is the first daily flight connecting Dubai to the Garden City of India, Bangalore by Kingfisher Airlines.

About Kingfisher Airlines:

Kingfisher Airlines is India's only Five Star airline rated by Skytrax, and the only one to offer premium first class service on domestic routes. Besides being the first and only airline in India to offer in-flight entertainment on every seat, Kingfisher offers LIVE TV on many domestic routes in India with 16 channels of live and exciting content. The airline has received numerous awards for innovation, customer responsiveness and was voted the ‘Best New Airline of the Year’, within months of its launch.

Kingfisher Airlines is a part of the UB Group that is one of India’s largest conglomerates with diverse interests and a global presence. Kingfisher Airlines covers all segments of air travel from low fares to premium service and offers most flights by any single airline network in India. Kingfisher Airlines now connects 69 cities in India with a fleet of 74 aircraft and operates over 400 flights a day in India.

For Booking: http://www.flykingfisher.com/

Kingfisher announced a special return fare of Dhs.1,250/- inclusive of all taxes to the South Indian Sectors. Any one who wish to fly any South Indian Sectors including Mangalore can avail this special opportunity but however the tickets needs to be booked and purchased prior to 31st July, 2009. Once booked the validity of these ticket will be until 31/12/2009.

The press conference was arranged very well in this prestigious hotel of Dubai with a number of correspondents from various Media, Press and T.V. present at the function. The function would have got more glamour if the big boss Vijay Mallya himself would have been present.

We will now have daily direct flights to Bangalore from Dubai and later to other cities including Mangalore. Another sector from Abu Dhabi to Bangalore is in scanner and may be considered at a later date as per the officials.

Mangalore Airport New Terminal - Final Countdown Begins...

by Florine Roche -
Pics by Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network

B R Sena, Joint General Manager (CNS) took over the reigns of the Mangalore Airport from the dynamic M R Vasudeva in April this year, who accepted his promotion after dithering for almost 8 months. M R Vasudeva during his tenure had set high standards and gave a new impetus to the Mangalore airport. Naturally, B R Sena had the tough time living up to the expectations set by his predecessor. But the issue of appointing him as the Airport Director is also shrouded in uncertainty depriving him of taking any vital decisions in his news postings.

Undaunted by these high expectations Sena has been going about his work with the same tempo and enthusiasm to make the Integrated Terminal Building of Mangalore Airport operational as early as possible. It means that the commissioning of the much awaited new Integrated Terminal Building will succeed in providing international airport status to Mangalore Airport. It will be a major victory for all those who have been trying hard in realizing this dream of many years.

Speaking to Daijiworld Sena said that Chairman of Airport Authority of India had visited and surveyed the work at the new terminal on May 7, 2009. “Based on this assessment the target date for the completion of the building is set as 31st July, 2009. Technical people in charge of the work have been positive about completing the work by this stipulated time. If everything goes as expected the inauguration of the new terminal will be held in the first week of September and at the same time the operations will also be shifted to the new terminal”, he explained.

The Civil and Engineering work will be completed by the end of July this year. Priority will then be given to provide other basic and essential services at the new terminal building. “The day the first passenger of the first flight arrives he has to be impressed and gauge the availability of all the facilities. Within the next seven days the airport terminal should be equipped with all the facilities”, Sena pointed out.

Adhering to the deadline it has set is feasible in an ideal situating assuming that everything goes right and there are no bottlenecks in the way of completing the project. According to Sena the only bottleneck visible at the moment is whether the oil browsers (oil tankers) will be able to move in the approach road or not due to its steepness. If these browsers are not able to move in this steep road then we have to find an alternate road for the purpose of transporting refuel facility for aircrafts. Once the operations are shifted to the new terminal the old building will be used for cargo handling and the continuance of the same will depend on the volume of cargo.

B R Sena who is from Kolkotta has served in different places all over the country including Bangalore. He has opted for serving in Mangalore after a long stint of almost 8 years in HAL airport, Bangalore, handling operations there at the crucial time between 2004 and 2008 when air traffic was at the peak. When M R Vasudeva was transferred Sena opted for Mangalore. Since his family is in Bangalore it makes commuting between Mangalore and Bangalore easier so that he can visit his family when required. He likes everything about Mangalore including its climate which is similar to his native Kolkotta. “The atmosphere is peaceful and people are really nice. I have stayed in many places during my 27 years of service. But this is the one place where all my belongings have remained safe though I was away from Mangalore for more than a month”, he recalls.

For Sena every work is challenging and every challenge is interesting. Let us hope he takes up the challenge of completing the new terminal before the stipulated time giving international status to Mangalore airport.

Having realized that parking contractors were not doing justice by charging car parking fee to every vehicle that came to the airport Sena has come to the rescue of those vehicles that entered the airport just for picking or dropping their relatives or friends. Now a time limit of 10 minutes is given for four wheelers without charging any parking fee once they enter the airport. In the new terminal building the system will be computerized where no vehicles can escape from paying parking fee beyond the 10 minute time frame allowed for vehicles.