Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) National carrier Air India Tuesday said it was operating 216 domestic flights and the number would eventually reach the normal frequency of 225, even as the airline registered 80 percent ticket bookings through its promotional scheme offering reduced fares to make up for the 10-day pilots strike which ended last week.

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

“We are operating 216 flights today on our domestic routes, while on an average day our schedule is 225 flights. The remaining flights would also be operationalised very soon,” an Air India official with the operations arm told IANS.

The carrier is using Airbus A320 family aircraft and propeller-driven ATR aircraft with seat utilisation of 70 percent on the major trunk routes connecting the four metros.

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,” the official said.

The scheme, which runs till Thursday, will be followed by another low-fare offer under which passengers will be given a 20 percent discount.

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 crore 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 fares 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’s capacity induction that should have been there from the beginning…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.