Paramount Airways to take-off next month

Paramount Airways is likely to start operations next month with a single plane that would fly in the morning from Coimbatore to New Delhi; follow that with a round trip between New Delhi and Kochi, and the last leg would be the return to Coimbatore from New Delhi.

Paramount's flight plan is with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for approval, said sources there. Paramount Airways' managing director M Thiagarajan could not be reached for comment.

In June this year, Thiagarajan told the media that the company had leased five planes from Brazil's Embraer for $138 million (Rs 600 crore), which are to be delivered over a 12-month period.

The Embraer planes are critical to Parmaount's business plan. Using the Embraer, Paramount aims to occupy the slot between low cost airlines that use ATRs for short distances and the bigger 737s and A320s that are used for the longer distance, said Thiagarajan earlier.

"There is a lot of potential to fly across the country that is beyond the range of ATR but not viable for 737 and A320. The Embraer is a jet type aircraft with the comfort of an A320 or 737, with no cramped feeling. It is comparable to any mainstream aircraft," Thiagarajan had said.

The essence of Paramount's business plan is flying routes that are largely untouched by the existing airlines. The aim is to roll out 30 flights a day over the next year, and position itself as a premium service but low cost airline. Paramount will be headquartered in Coimbatore, where it has set up its own hangar and aircraft maintenance facilities.

Embraer is to set up a warehousing facility in India that will stock spare parts. Paramount will also receive engineering support for two years as well as initial pilot support from Embraer.

Thiagarajan had said the extra services that Embraer will provide would not require more payment. The lease amount of $138 million included extra services that Embraer will provide.

In addition, Paramount does not plan to hire pilots who are currently employed by other commercial airlines. Thiagarajan, a licensed pilot himself, said that the company had hired pilots outside the civil aviation industry, who would be guided by Embraer's team for a while.