Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) National carrier Air India Tuesday said it was operating 210 domestic flight and the number would eventually reach the designated daily schedule of 225 flights, even as the airline registered 80 percent ticket bookings through its promotional scheme offering reduced fares to make up for the crippling effects of a 10-day pilots strike it has emerged from.

Overall, the airline Tuesday operated 460 flights - the balance on the international sector, which was not affected by the strike,

“We are operating 210 flights today on our domestic routes, while on an average day our schedule is 225 flights per day. The remaining flights would also be operationalised very soon,” an Air India official with the operations arm told IANS.

According to the official, the airline has managed to garner 80 percent ticket bookings through its reduced fares promotional scheme.

“Through this offer we have got 80 percent ticket bookings. This offer provides passengers 50 percent reduced prices on our domestic routes from that of an average day’s one,” the official said.

The airline further said that the scheme, which can be availed till May 12, would be followed by another low-fare offer under which Air India would give a 20 percent discount on its tickets.

“After the scheme is over, we will offer fares 20 percent lower than the ones that were applicable a year back,” the official added.

The airline had earlier deployed wide-bodied aircraft between the metros to offer more seats under its plan to come out of the effects of the pilots strike which cost the airline Rs.150 crores and resulted in the cancellation of 1,600 flights.

“Our plan is to increase ticket sales revenue and make up for the lost time we had to endure during the peak summer travel season,” the official said.

On Sunday, Air India had published advertisements in various national dailies thanking passengers for bearing with it during the strike and notified them of the new airfares on offer.

According to some aviation experts, the lower fares would not have any adverse effect on private airlines, as they are already offering competitive fares to passengers.

“It is capacity induction that should have been there from the beginning, but due to the strike was lost out. Demand is still high and everyone will get a share out of it,” Ankur Bhatia, executive director of the Bird Group, a technology provider to the travel industry, told IANS.