Return of Captain Gopinath: Deccan Charters set to enter regional routes

Gopinath said some of the country's 900 airstrips provided very good opportunity for making money

The government’s plan to attract entrepreneurs to regional aviation has drawn a star participant in G R Gopinath, pioneer of low-cost flying in India who is now considering a comeback in the country’s regional skies.

Deccan Charters, an aviation services company owned by Gopinath, has registered to bid for regional routes. The government has received 20 registrations from air operator permit holders to participate in the bidding.

“I had never completely left aviation, Deccan Charters has been providing charter services for tourism, medical service and corporate travel. I just want to make it bigger,” Gopinath, now 63, told Business Standard. With four fixed-wing aircraft and 10 helicopters, Deccan Charters provides services to pilgrims in parts of Uttarakhand and chartered aircraft to companies. It has also expanded into the maintenance and repair of aircraft and provides services to corporate houses like Reliance, the Tatas and the Jindals.

Gopinath did not divulge the routes he was interested in but said some of the country’s 900 airstrips provided very good opportunity for making money. 

“A mining belt like Bellary has five airfields. Bagdogra is connected to Kolkata but unconnected to Cooch Behar, only 40 minutes away. The tourist circuit of Kulu-Manali-Shimla also holds promise,” he said. “Air Deccan flew between many such cities, which were rendered flightless with its demise.” Air Deccan was, after a financial crunch, taken over by the Vijay Mallya-owned Kingfisher Airlines, which itself was grounded in 2012.

Minister of State Jayant Sinha had said earlier in an interview that many entrepreneurs were willing to fly in the tourist circuits of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. “I see a lot of promise in the recently announced scheme though it should be simplified to attract more players,” Gopinath said. 

Air Deccan changed the business of Indian aviation in 2003 by establishing air links to small towns with fares as low as Rs 700. It also pioneered the Rs 1 fare.

“People remember us for the Rs 1 fare, but there were many other innovations. We were the first to introduce e-ticketing in India and thus put the ticket inventory directly in the customer’s hands,” Gopinath said.