PANJIM: Air Asia India will remain low cost and fares will remain in the Rs 990 band to ensure that people who have not flown before get an opportunity to fly. Tony Fernandes Group CEO Air Asia India said this during the course of an hour long stopover in Goa today.
He said that India should be the top aviation market in Asia, instead of being somewhere in the middle of the list. He said “Indian aviation has failed so far. Not many have made money, some airlines have gone bust.”
Asked where the airline intended to go next in the country he said at the appropriate time all would be revealed. However earlier in the day at a press conference held in Bengaluru he said that the North East would be an area of focus since it was not touched by the airlines in the country.
Mittu Chandilya speaking to the Herald said “We are looking at the North East and we intend to touch all the seven sisters through our airline”. Asked when this operation would commence he said they intended to do this at the earliest and this would be part of their strategy to go to the cities and towns not touched by the bigger more conventional airlines. Asked how many aircrafts they indeed to introduce into the airline, Tony said they intended to bring in six which would help them achieve their financial obligations to their investors.
Asked what he wanted the government to do to help the aviation industry in the country Tony said” it is important that the price of ATF should be reduced, remove the ban on new airlines from flying international and have low cost terminals or find a way to reduce airport task.
With regards to Goa he said the state has two airports now and perhaps the old airport should be given to low cost airlines in the country. He said low cost airlines did not need certain services and their requirements were not much. The company he said would over a period of time have a mix of destinations. It would not comprise only grade 2 and 3 cities and towns. Air travel he said should be for everyone and not just for the rich.
AirAsia India launched its services on June 12 with a Bangalore-Goa flight and followed it up with a Bangalore-Chennai service. On July 20, it would be launching its Bangalore-Cochin service.
