Kingfisher Airlines to launch flights from Singapore to Mumbai

Kingfisher Airlines, India’s only five-star airline rated by Skytrax, today announced that beginning September 17, 2009, it would commence daily non-stop flights from Singapore to Mumbai.

Kingfisher Airlines, India’s only five-star airline rated by Skytrax, today announced that beginning September 17, 2009, it would commence daily non-stop flights from Singapore to Mumbai. The flights on this new route will be operated using a brand new Airbus A330-200, widely billed as the best A330 ever built for any airline.

The launch of this new route marks the first time the Kingfisher Airlines will commence operations from Singapore. Starting September 16, 2009, Kingfisher Airlines will also launch flights between Hong Kong and Mumbai. The launch of flights from India to Singapore and Hong Kong marks the first time that Kingfisher Airlines will be flying to southeast Asia.

Commenting on the launch of this new international route, Mr. Siva Ramachandran, vice president, global sales, Kingfisher Airlines Limited, said: โ€œI am delighted to announce the launch of daily non-stop flights from Mumbai to Hong Kong and Singapore. With our award-winning service, our flights will offer guests who travel on these routes, a truly five-star, world-class flying experience.โ€

โ€œGiven the strong linkages between India and southeast Asia, we believe that there is untapped potential, and these new routes promise to serve the unmet needs of discerning corporate and leisure flyers. We are excited at the huge opportunity that exists for Kingfisher Airlines in the Hong Kong and Singapore market. With Kingfisher Airlinesโ€™ unparalleled domestic network in India and our growing international footprint, we are strongly positioned to move forward even in this challenging environment. The initial response to the introduction of these new routes has been extremely encouraging. Hong Kong and Singapore are very important markets for us, and with the support of our general sales ggents in both these markets, we are confident of capturing and growing the market,โ€ added Mr. Ramachandran.

Kingfisher Airlines flight IT 030 will take off from Singapore Changi Airportโ€™s Terminal 3 at 10:15 am and arrive at 1:05 pm in Mumbai. The return fight IT 029 will take off from Mumbai at 11:05 pm and arrive at Singapore at 7:05 am, local time.

Changi Airport Groupโ€™s executive vice president (air hub development), Yam Kum Weng, said: โ€œWe look forward to welcoming Kingfisher Airlines to the Changi family. With Kingfisherโ€™s extensive domestic network, the commencement of its services to Singapore will further enhance Changi’s connectivity to India, which will benefit travelers with more convenience and choice.โ€

Configured in two classes, Kingfisher First and Kingfisher Class, the spacious full-length wide-bodied twin aisle cabin of the A330-200 has gone to great lengths to make flying feel like a more natural and pleasurable experience. Amongst other things, the service onboard Kingfisher First features:

โ€ข A social area comprised of a full-fledged bar staffed with a bartender and a break-out seating area just nearby, fitted with 2 couches and bar stools
โ€ข An in-seat massager on every seat
โ€ข Mood lighting with a starry sky
โ€ข In-seat chargers

Kingfisher Airlines commenced international operations last year and since then has gone on to launch six new international routes this year. This includes flights from Mumbai to London Heathrow, Chennai to Colombo, Bangalore to Colombo, Bangalore to Dubai, Kolkata to Dhaka and most recently, from Kolkata to Bangkok.

Recently, Kingfisher Airlines also announced a roadmap for the next phase of its international routes and detailed plans for 6 new overseas routes. Three new routes are proposed to be launched out of New Delhi. Kingfisher Airlines has applied to the Ministry of Civil Aviation to commence operations on the New Delhi โ€“ London โ€“ New Delhi sector. The flights on this route will also be operated using the Airbus A330-200 and launch dates will be announced once the requisite regulatory approvals are in place. The launch of this new route will mark the first time that Kingfisher Airlines will commence international flights out of New Delhi. Besides this route, there are plans to start flights from New Delhi to Bangkok and from New Delhi to Dubai. The flights on these two routes will be operated using the Airbus A320/A321 aircraft.

There are also plans to commence flights between Mumbai and Bangkok, between Mumbai and Dubai, and between Mumbai and Colombo. The flights on these routes will also be operated using the Airbus A320/A321 aircraft. โ€œThe plan to launch these new services is consistent with our goal of redeploying capacity on routes with better yields. Our assessment of travel behavior in these markets, flyer preferences, and projected demand indicates promising potential on these new international routes,โ€ added Prakash Mirpuri.

Kingfisher Airlines has blazed a trail of innovations and introduced a range of market-firsts that have completely redefined the whole experience of flying. By elevating its customers to a level of being guests and not just passengers, Kingfisher Airlines has endeared itself to consumers.

Kingfisher Airlines has a fleet of 71 aircraft and flies to 65 cities in India and 5 international destinations. It has over 360 daily departures on its domestic route network with 98 flights a week on its international route network.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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