India’s latest private airline, Zoom Air has joined in supporting the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) by the Ministry of Tourism, as it started scheduled daily operation on Delhi – Kolkata – Durgapur – Delhi sector on February 15. The inaugural flight was launched in New Delhi by Ashok Gajapati Raju, Minister of Civil Aviation. As India’s 10th scheduled carrier for the domestic skies, Zoom Air will be a premium airline catering to the Tier II and Tier III cities.
Speaking on the occasion, Koustav M Dhar, director and CEO, Zoom Air, stated, “Delhi will serve as the airline’s primary base terminal with daily services to major cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. We plan to fill the gap by reaching out to Tier II and Tier III cities unlike other airlines serving the main hubs.”
He also indicated that the airline will be reaching out to 14 to 15 more locations by the end of 2017, which will include Tirupati, Vijaywada, Shillong, Ziro (Arunachal Pradesh), Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Indore, Bhopal, Aizawl, Pasighat among others. Zoom Air will start with three CRJ-200LR aircraft, under dry-lease from CJR Aircraft Leasing in Dublin. Of these, two aircraft have been imported. The airline has acquired two similar aircraft from Dubai to complete the fleet of five aircraft within one year, as conditioned by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The 50-seater aircraft produced by Bombardier are versatile for short routes.
Commenting on the airline’s funding, Dhar said, “We have started with 20-crore feeder capital brought in by the partners of the company. The aircraft have been taken on a fixed lease cost. The underserved and unserved airports have a huge potential and we have seen such massive air growth in Vijaywada, Tirupati, Ranchi and Chandigarh. We plan to breakeven in the next 24 months.”
The airline has also started an initiative to have at least one lady pilot on board. Dhar added, “We bring a new perspective of flying and terms as premium commuter airline with onboard Zoom eat, styled snacks and beverages services.”
The airline will be operating from India’s two main international airports Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3 and Terminal 2 of Mumbai Airport.
