Indo-Asian News Service

Bangalore, January 20, 2005|19:37 IST

India`s liquor baron Vijay Mallya will launch his dream airliner Kingfisher Airlines in Mumbai on May 7, with the first commercial flight by A-320 to New Delhi scheduled two days later.

Mallya told reporters on Thursday that the airlines would launch its services on the Mumbai-Bangalore and Bangalore-Delhi trunk routes in phases during the current year when Airbus Industries delivers two more A-320s.

``The launch has been scheduled for May 7 to coincide with the 18th birthday of my son Siddarth and the service will start on May 9. We will focus on the high density trunk routes with the best-in-class in-flight experience,`` Mallya said after an extraordinary general meeting of his flagship firm United Breweries Ltd (UB).

The new private airline will start reservations on April 1 for the Mumbai-Delhi route, with fares for its economy only class 20 per cent lower than its competitors.

``The budget airlines will offer the luxury of having a video-screen for every single seat with individual in-flight entertainment system to watch movies, videos and a choice of six channels.

``Currently, such a facility is not offered even in the business class by other airlines. The seats will also be one-inch wider than in any other A-320 aircraft of other airlines,`` Mallya said.

The airlines signed an MoU last month with Airbus Industries for 10 brand new A-320s, with an option for 20 more aircraft at a later stage.

The delivery schedule for all the 10 A-320s is by mid-2007, making it the airline with the youngest fleet in the world.

The airline is also contemplating wide-bodied aircraft (Airbus 380) for operating international routes - to South East Asia and the Middle East as and when the government permits private airlines to fly overseas.

The airline is a 100 per cent subsidiary of UB Holdings through UB General Investments Ltd.

Mallya intends to keep the holding that way in the near term. ``We may look at either an IPO or private placement at the appropriate time,`` he added.