Alhind Air to take off by mid-’25; starts office at Kochi airport
KOCHI: Alhind Air, a new player in the airline sector, is set to commence operations by mid-2025. The private airline, promoted by the Alhind Group, is expecting the first of the seven ATR 72-600 aircraft to be delivered in March next year. The airline, which will start its operations with Kochi as the hub, started its office at the Kochi airport the other day. “We’ll initially start with Kochi as our only base. However, our strategy is to adopt the ‘multi-base concept’ as part of expanding our network in a phased manner once we start the operations by the middle of next year. This is vital as the ATR 72, a proven aircraft most-widely used in the country, has a maximum range of two-and-a-half hours of flying,” Reena Abdul Rahiman, newly-appointed chief operating officer, told TNIE. While Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has allocated space for the office after the applications were submitted six months back, the airline has started working from the aero-lounge located at Terminal 2. “We’ll set up a dedicated office at the allocated space once the operations start in another six months. Now the activities like recruitment of engineering and technical teams are progressing and we require a space where there is free public access,” the official pointed out. While keeping regional connectivity as the foundation for organic growth, the airline also plans to expand its global footprint in the future. “Our initial priority will be Kerala connectivity, the Kochi-Thiruvananthapuram-Calicut sector. We aim to connect over 40 airports across India before expanding to the Gulf in 18 months. Operations will begin with two ATR aircraft, with plans to scale up to seven ATRs within a year,” Reena said, adding that the airline aims to buy wide-bodied aircraft -- either Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, after two years as part of its long-term strategy. The airline plans to connect six destinations with each of the 72-seat aircraft. “Once we start the commercial operations, we plan to set up multi-bases and expand connectivity to destinations like Pondicherry, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Madurai, Goa and Mangaluru. We expect to have the delivery of the first aircraft by March and it will take another 45 to 60 days to finish the processes, including trial flying. We’re hopeful of receiving the air operation certificate (AOC), the final clearance from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), by that time,” the official added. The airline received the initial nod of the DGCA earlier in August. Alhind Group, which has a turnover of over Rs 20,000 crore and more than 130 offices in India and overseas, is the general sales agent for many reputed airlines. Future goals The group plans to set up multi-bases and expand connectivity to destinations like Pondicherry, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Madurai, Goa and Mangaluru It aims to buy wide-bodied aircraft — either Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, after 2 years as part of its long-term strategy
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