The company also offers special tour packages like ‘medical tourism’, ‘farm tourism’, ‘cultural tourism’ and ‘spot tourism’.
By Ashraf Padanna/Gulf Times Correspondent//Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will flag off the first intrastate airline on April 9.
Awadh Aerostate, a service provider of Bengaluru’s Deccan Charters, will connect three international airports of the state on a daily basis.
Abdul Jaleel, who heads the Lucknow-based airline’s Kerala operations, said two 11-seater Cessna aircraft would be in service in the state.
The frequency of the non-scheduled flights could go up as demand increases. Online booking will begin at www.aerostate.in today.
The one-way fare for Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode starts at Rs4,500 and Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi and Kochi-Kozhikode at Rs3,500.
The flying time to Kozhikode will be 75 minutes. There will be flights in both directions every morning and evening. The exact departure time will be announced later.
Flights to Kochi will start within two weeks. The promoters hope to add Kannur as a destination within a year.
The airline hopes to bring down the fares if the ground handling charges at Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram airports, run by the Airport Authority of India, were waived.
Thiruvananthapuram airport charges Rs8,000 on every flight while Kozhikode collects Rs10,000. The airport at Kochi does not charge for ground handling services.
“The state government has agreed for bulk purchase of tickets for ministers and officials. This is a big boost for us,” said Jaleel, who is also a pilot. “Many states offer a subsidy for every flying hour to promote domestic tourism.”
The company has already launched air ambulance and charter services within the state, charging Rs80,000 an hour.
Actor Suresh Gopi was one of its early customers. He took a chartered flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode recently.
Last week, the company launched a ‘birthday on air’ package for Rs40,000 half-an-hour and it proved an instant hit. Three families in Kozhikode have already cut the cake midair.
It also offers special tour packages like ‘medical tourism’, ‘farm tourism’, ‘cultural tourism’ and ‘spot tourism’.
All flight services promoted by Awadh Aerostate are operated and maintained by Deccan Charters.
The low-flying, single-engine, Cessna 208 Caravan with cantilever wings will also offer excellent “sight-seeing” opportunity for passengers.
The company has also plans to launch short-haul services soon nationally.
