SilkAir begins Kolkata flights
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SilkAir will begin its thrice-weekly service between Kolkata and Singapore from 4 July with flights every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Parent company Singapore Airlines operates to Kolkata four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. SilkAir will touch down in Kolkata at 10.35pm and take off at 11.50pm, utilising the very slot that is used by Singapore Airlines. However, the fare on SilkAir flights is likely to be 15-20% lower than Singapore Airlines given the latter’s positioning as a premier airline, Times of India said.At present, the return fare to Singapore is INR 20,000-26,000. Though SilkAir is also a full-service carrier, its positioning is a lower than the parent carrier, the report said. Singapore Airlines has already announced a decision to introduce a low-cost airline sometime next year that will service long-haul routes and medium routes like India. The report added that SIA has just launched a 30-day promotion in June in which return flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane cost INR 18,000 and that to Perth, Seoul and Tokyo cost INR 16,000 (taxes additional). “Introduction of SilkAir will offer customers more choice and flexibility of flights between Singapore and Kolkata,” an airline spokesperson said. SilkAir will use the narrow body Airbus 320 aircraft and offer two class configuration-business and economy. Singapore Airlines, on the other hand, offers three class configuration: first, business and economy class. Apart from Singapore Airlines and SilkAir, Air India Express currently operates direct flights to Singapore from Kolkata four days-a-week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The report said while the new arrival would enhance options for passengers, the trade was worried that it could lead to AI Express withdrawing its flights. The latter has, however, denied any such possibility, accoding to the report. Travel Agents’ Federation of India chairman (east) Anil Punjabi was quoted saying that the passenger count on the sector would shoot up by 15-20% if SilkAir triggered a fare war. “The new airline can shake up the industry with rock-bottom fares that can, in turn, lead to a traffic surge.”
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