India’s first low-cost domestic airlines, Air Deccan is ready to relaunch its operations this month on 22nd December, and they are bringing back the scheme that Deccan is remembered the most for – air tickets costing Rs 1.
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Founded in 2003, Air Deccan was India’s first budget domestic airlines and it was later merged with Kingfisher Airlines in 2008 but then, we all know how Kingfisher was grounded in 2012 because of financial issues; bringing an end to Deccan’s service too. Until now. Finally, Air Deccan is preparing for its second innings and the airline is getting back on track from December 22, 2017. Deccan flights will begin from four bases at Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Shillong, connecting them with smaller cities around them. The first relaunch Air Deccan flight will take off on December 22 and fly to Mumbai from Nashik.
With its relaunch, the airlines that was known for fares as low as Re 1, the no-frills carrier is said to be launching this scheme too. Apart from that, the airline will start flight operations under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), also called the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (Udan) scheme. With the UDAN scheme, which loosely translates “let the common man fly”, will connect all smaller cities at reasonable fares of about Rs 2,500 for a one-hour flight. The UDAN scheme played an important role in bringing the airlines back in business.
Air Deccan founder GR Gopinath said during the launch, “Some of the initial lucky people will be able to get Rs 1 fares also,” Gopinath said, even though most tickets will start at about Rs 1,400 for a 40-minute Nashik-Mumbai flight, a distance that would take four hours to cover by road. Not only will these budget flights provide but cheaper air travel option to common man, but it will also boost regional connectivity and serve the unserved and under-served airports in the country. By January 2018, Air Deccan will start operating from its second base airport in New Delhi. This will connect nearby cities like Agra, Shimla, Dehradun, Kullu, Shimla etc. So they are back for good.
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