70. KL to Tiruchi by AirAsia
Air Asia, an international low cost carrier, will enter the Indian market with its first service to the country on the Kuala Lumpur-Tiruchi-Kuala Lumpur sector, scheduled for launch from Nov 1.
The airline had obtained the security clearance from Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and is awaiting clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for commencing operations.
A two-member team from the airline, led by Ahmad Ismail, Manager, Standards and New Stations, Air Asia, visited the airport yesterday for finalisation of the operational and logistical details. They held separate discussions with S. Sreekumar, Airport Director, and T. H. Radhakrishnan, Station Manager, Air India, which will be the ground handling agency.
Speaking to The Hindu after inspecting the facilities at the new terminal building under construction at the airport, Ismail said the flights on the Kuala Lumpur-Tiruchi-Kuala Lumpur sector would be a daily service.
The airline would deploy an all-economy class Airbus 320, with a passenger capacity of 180, on the route. The flight from Kuala Lumpur would arrive here at 8.55am and depart at 9.25am (Airports Authority of India officials at the Tiruchi Airport have already cleared the schedule, sources said).
Ismail said the airline would look to connecting more Indian destinations after the launch of the Tiruchi service. Tiruchi, he said, offered a good potential and the airline would seek to tap the central and south Tamil Nadu market.
Meanwhile, airport sources said the state-of-the-art new terminal building, being built at an investment of RM70 million, would become operational by the end of this financial year.
Airport sources said Silk Air has also evinced interest in launching services in the Tiruchi-Singapore sector - The Malaysian Insider / The Hindu.
Congratulations to AirAsia for this service to the Indian subcontinent. Malaysians have been long been awaiting this overdue service. This is the first foray by the low cost carrier to the Indian market - My Journal.
