GoAir adds for new destinations to its network

With the aim to tap tier-two cities and 'mini-metros', GoAir today announced addition of four new destinations to its network this festive season, beginning with two direct daily flights to Patna from Delhi.

With the aim to tap tier-two cities and 'mini-metros', GoAir today announced addition of four new destinations to its network this festive season, beginning with two direct daily flights to Patna from Delhi.

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The Wadia group promoted low-cost carrier, which currently has eight Airbus 320 aircraft, would also have two new aircraft in its fleet in the next couple of months.

"The ninth aircraft will be inducted on September 2 operating on Delhi-Patna sector, while the next one will be inducted on October 2," GoAir CEO Kaushik Khona told reporters in Delhi.

While the Delhi Patna flights will start from September 2, the other destinations being added are Leh, Lucknow and Pune from October 2.

"GoAir is the only LCC to cover 19 destinations with 10 aircraft with the ratio of 2 cities per aircraft, while the other LCC have less than one city per aircraft ratio," he added.

On the expansion plans, the GoAir CEO said that the company is focusing on north India, with almost one third of its flights originating from Delhi.

The airline will be adding 10 new Airbus 320 aircraft by March, 2013.

"We have given orders for 20 aircraft and we are in talks with the Airbus for early delivery of the planes by March 2013," Khona said.

The company has already hired 20 first officers of which 10 will be deployed in the first week of September, while the rest will be put in service by the end of the month. It is also planning to hire 10 captains.

Asked about the reduction of fares by Air India ahead of the festive season, Khona said, "September should not have been the month when they reduce the fares as this is the beginning of the new season... Every body will suffer."

He also said "if the fares of Air India are lower than ours, then we can we can think of fare restructuring".