GOAIR TO DOUBLE NUMBER OF FLIGHTS TO ABOUT 1,400 A WEEK IN FY13

MUMBAI  : The Wadia Group promoted budget airline GoAir, India's fifth largest airline in terms of market share is planning to double the number of flights to about 1,400 a week, as it expands its network further by adding via or hopping flights on its existing network. 

The airline will add one more aircraft to its fleet of 12 Airbus A320s this week, a senior company official told ET. Together with direct 720 flights per week on its network, the airline plans to offer 700 additional flights each week by the end of this financial year by replicating a strategy its peers have perfected in the market.

"We target more capacity addition through via flights from our base in Mumbai and from cities like Bangalore and other centres. Through this extension of network we will offer about 700 more flights per week apart from the already existing straight 720 flights on our network," said Giorgio De Roni, CEO, GoAir. The airline is in black for the first quarter of the current financial year.

The airline will also add some new cities beginning this week on its network, the airline honcho that joined the carrier in May last year said.

"There will be eight new flights from August 21 and the frequency will be increased on existing flights of Mumbai-Goa and new flights will be added to Lucknow from Mumbai and Bangalore to Goa while adding flights on the Lucknow- Delhi route. 

Another aircraft, joining the fleet on August 21, will help us increase flights and frequencies particularly from Mumbai to Lucknow to Goa," he said.

The budget airline has managed to maintain its market share of 7% (up from 5% a couple of months back) and company said that it will now try and increase its presence across the domestic network. GoAir is seeking more flights from the government to start flights to the north-western parts of the country and also to Chennai.

21/08/2012  :   Manisha Singhal / The Economic Times. 

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