Enter: Air India Express

Shirajiv Sirimane

AIRLINE: Air India Express, the low cost Indian airline, will be operating direct flights daily to Colombo from Chennai.

This is the third airline from India, after Jet Air and Air Sahara in recent times to add Colombo to their international destinations. This is a clear indication that Colombo is gaining popularity as an emerging major airline destination.

The airline has appointed Millennium Transportation Ltd, a member of the Hayleys Group, as their general sales agents.

General Manager, Millennium Transportation Ltd, Kishani Ganegoda said there is an increase in airline traffic from Chennai. “Since Sri Lanka is adopting a visa on arrival policy for tourists there is increased business and leisure travellers from Chennai and this too was one reason for the airline to operate to Colombo,” she said.

The airline fleet consists of the latest Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a seating capacity of around 180.

In keeping with the mission to provide budget travel, the aircraft will have a single class economy.

“We would be offering the lowest fair to Chennai,” she said.

Air India Express offers flights to seven international destinations; Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Muscat, Salalah and Singapore from nine Indian cities, Kozhikode, Kochi, Thiruvananthpuram, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Amritsar, Chennai and Mangalore.

Effective March 25, Air India Express will introduce flights between Bahrain/Doha and Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore and Mumbai.

Additionally, two weekly flights between Mumbai/Pune and Singapore will operate. Three weekly flights between Thiruchirapally and Singapore will also commence.

The airline is also looking at operating direct flights from Colombo to Indian destinations in the future.

Mihin Air, the budget airline from Sri Lanka too successfully operated a test flight to India and is expected to operate flights to three destinations in India soon.

With SriLankan, Air India, Indian Airlines, Air Sahara and Jet Air operating flights to India, there would be over 250 flights from Colombo to Indian destinations per week. This would increase the tourism potential too.