Two startup airlines may fly from Bengaluru this summer

BENGALURU: Two new regional airlines are to start commercial operations from Bengaluru in the upcoming summer season, subject to permits from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), according to data made available by Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB).

FLYeasy and Air Pegasus, both headquartered in the city, have applied for flight slots with the KIAB for the upcoming summer scheduled that begins from March 29. While Air Pegasus will operate a fleet of ATR-72 twin-engined turboprop aircraft, FLYeasy is looking to operate a fleet of Embraer E-Jets.

With AirAsia India having launched operations last June, Bengaluru will now be home to three startup airlines after having seen a flurry of aviation activity with erstwhile Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines in early years of the last decade.

After much fanfare, both Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines succumbed to the strong air turbulence (heavy cash burn) that the Indian aviation industry has been flying through for many years now.

A spokesperson from KIAB told TOI, "Operations of Air Pegasus and Fly Easy are subject to them receiving an Airport Operating Permit (AOP) and DGCA clearance, so destinations cannot be confirmed."

Additionally, the country's newest full-service carrier Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, is also expected to flag off its first service to Bengaluru in the summer schedule. "Since Vistara is an open slot, no destination is confirmed," said the KIAB spokesperson.

Besides the new domestic operations at KIAB, Kuwait Airlines will launch operations to Kuwait in the Middle East, which would be a new international route.

The Bengaluru airport is the third busiest in the country after New Delhi and Mumbai, handling 14.38 million passengers as of December last year.