Saturday, August 15, 2009

AirAsia to start Kuala Lumpur-Kolkata flights


Three years after Malaysia Airlines withdrew operations from Kolkata after servicing the sector for only a year, Kuala Lumpur-based low-cost airline, AirAsia, is set to revive the connection between the Malaysian capital and Kolkata with daily flights from November 7. AirAsia is Asia's largest low-fare, no-frills carrier that began operations in 1996. It will operate a 180-seater Airbus A320 aircraft. The incoming flight AK 203 will touch down at the city airport at 4.30 pm. The return flight, AK 204, will take off for Kuala Lumpur half an hour later.

The revival of flights to Malaysia comes as a huge boost to the sagging fortunes of international traffic from Kolkata with JetStar Asia, British Airways, Gulf Air, Royal Jordanian, KLM and even Air India deserting the city. Among carriers that have touched down are Emirates, Air India Express, Bangladeshi private carriers and international wings of Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines. The travel trade fraternity has also welcomed the flight's introduction and believes its convenient schedule will ensure that it does not go the way Malaysia Airlines did.

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