Budget carrier Air Deccan will start non-scheduled air services to the US and Europe using luxury jets, as it does not meet the government's conditions for scheduled operations on international routes. |
Deccan Aviation, which operates the no-frills carrier Air Deccan, is planning to acquire two business jets for over Rs 100 crore for this. |
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Air Deccan has also set up a subsidiary in Sri Lanka, aimed at starting scheduled operations, to come around Indian regulations, which do not allow carriers with less than five years of service and a 20-aircraft fleet to operate international services. |
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Deccan Aviation, which already owns a fleet of 10 helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft, is looking to acquire high-end luxury jet Lear 45 XR. |
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"Lear XRs, which cost $11 million per aircraft, can carry seven passengers and two crew members," Clive Lewis, general manager (marketing), Deccan Aviation, said. |
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According to industry analysts, non-scheduled operators currently have a market share of 1.22 per cent of total domestic traffic. Not many Indian airlines operate non-scheduled flights on international routes. Non-scheduled operators are also permitted to operate revenue charter flights to overseas destinations. |
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"High-profile delegations, corporate heads and politicians are the target group for non-scheduled operators. There are over 47 non-scheduled operators who mainly operate within the country," analysts said. |
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Deccan Aviation is currently offers flights to Dubai, Sri Lanka and Nepal. "We have recently acquired one more fixed-wing aircraft. The company is in the process of acquiring two helicopters, which will be deployed for offshore operations," Lewis said. |
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The acquisition cost for these three aircraft is estimated at over Rs 20 crore. |
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Meanwhile, the company's low-cost airline Air Deccan, with a market share of 21.2 per cent (June 2006), has the largest network in the country covering 55 airports. The airline currently operates a brand new fleet of 14 Airbus A320 aircraft and 22 ATR Turboprop aircraft. |
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