Muscat Air India Office Announces Official Press Release

06 February 2007

Air India Express office in Muscat today officially announced that they have received approval from the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation Oman. The Press Release from the Air India Express Country Manager in Oman Mrs. S. Pancharatnam, was received by Mangalorean.com today.
With this official release Mangaloreans in Oman are assured that there will not be any more hurdles for the commencement of the maiden flight from Muscat to Mangalore on February 15, 2007.
The Press Release reads:
Air India Express Takes Off To Mangalore
Air India has added yet another accomplishment to its glorious history in its entry into 75 years of operations by introducing the Muscat to Mangalore flights by its budget airline Air India Express. The Indian National carrier's development and progress is a significant achievement for Indian Aviation.
The expansion and growth of Air India, the flagship carrier of India, is continuing with its fleet expansion plan taking a firm shape. AirIndia placed the largest commercial airplane order in India's civil aviation history in December 2005. Air India plans to induct 50 new aircrafts in its fleet comprising the ultra long range B777-200 LR, 777-300 ER and the 787 Dreamliner. In addition another firm order of 18, B 737-800 are in place.
Air India has been awarded with the 'Best International West Bound Airline out of India' for the second consecutive year by Galileo Express Travel World Awards 2006 in New Delhi. The Special Category Award recognizes the Most Significant Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative (CSR) taken by an organization. Air-India has been ranked first as per total income in the aviation sector in the 2006 edition of the acclaimed publication 'India's top 500 companies.'
Air India commenced operations to Muscat on February 12, 1974 with a weekly service operated on the Mumbai-Muscat-Dubai-Kuwait route in the westbound direction and Bahrain-Muscat-Mumbai in the eastbound direction. The airline presently operates thrice-weekly flights each between Mumbai and Muscat, and Delhi and Muscat, via Abu Dhabi, with Airbus 310s aircraft.
Air India Express, the budget airline, has presently 55 flights out of Kerala to various destinations in the Gulf. It has a fleet of nine aircrafts and is planning to induct 18 new state-of-the-art 737-800 Boeing aircrafts. Air India Express started its operation in April 2005 and within a year, we have recorded impressive profits. A large group of customers today are demanding low cost international flights; hence expanding the network is the best solution to tap this growing market.
Air India Express began operations to Muscat on 9th May 2005, the 50th Year of diplomatic ties between India and the Sultanate of Oman. Air India Express currently operates six weekly services between Oman and India - five to Muscat from three Indian stations, viz. Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram; and one between Salalah and Kozhikode. Incidentally, Air India Express is the only airline which operates flights between Salalah and Kerala.
Air-India Express is proud to announce commencement of their flights from Muscat to Mangalore, a dream awaited by the Mangalorean community effective 15th February 2007 on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Since commencement of Air-India Express, there is never a dull moment since all the flights are doing well and propose to enhance its operations in future with a twice a week flight from Salalah.