India's premier low-cost carrier (LCC), GoAir is on a mission to promote Goa as a round-the-year world-class tourist destination and as part of its expansion spree, it intends to have 33 aircraft by 2008 for better connectivity. | |
| The Jeh Wadia-owned airliner has inked a deal with the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) to promote the state as a 365-day tourist paradise. |
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| Through the tie-up, GoAir will promote the 'GoGoa' packages through special counters at Goa tourism hotels and innovative in-flight promotions. |
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| "GoAir passengers will get concessions at GTDC's hotels and winners of promotions on GoAir will win free stays at the GTDC properties across the state," Raj Halve, COO of GoAir, told Business Standard. |
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| "We are in touch with international agencies to promote GoAir and GTDC hotels among foreign tourists," the COO said. |
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| Besides business travellers, according to him, the leisure travel sector is the key driver of the aviation industry's growth. "Presently, the demand for low-cost travel is at an all-time high, complemented by huge state-run tourism awareness campaigns," said Halve. |
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| The budget airliner is also in the process of having more tie ups with state tourism development corporations of Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other states. |
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| Reiterating the airline's commitment to quality and punctuality, Halve said that GoAir proved that it could give passengers the best value proposition with a 98 per cent on time performance and excellent services, manifesting in GoAir's over 75 per cent load factor across all the sectors where the airliner operates. |
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| GoAir will commemorate its first anniversary in November and add three more aircraft to the existing fleet thereby having a total of seven aircraft operational by the end of November. The focus of the new sectors would be ex-Delhi and would then expand to encompass the southern region post the delivery of the other aircraft. |
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| "Our first operation began between Mumbai and Goa last year with seven flights a week. Now, the airline operates 14 flights a week. GoAir will be the only airliner to run 21 flights a week between Goa and Mumbai by the end of November," Halve stated. Besides this, GoAir will introduce Goa-Bangalore flight in November. |
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| Halve further said that the fleet of the airlines would increase to 18 from seven by the end of 2007 and 33 aircraft by 2008. |
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| On higher fuel prices, Halve replied that the airlines was hit by higher fuel prices and congestion at airports like Delhi and Mumbai was resulting in burning of more fuel. |
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| "Our cost structure is designed to compete with AC II railway fares. Therefore, outsourcing of services like engineering and ground handling can bring down costs by 25 per cent." |
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| GoAir, which has launched a 10 per cent discount scheme for students, Armed Forces' personnel, government employees and senior citizens, is seriously contemplating introducing the same for journalists. |
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