Air India is all set to restore its domestic service to Lakshadweep from the next winter schedule, to be effective from October.
Six flights a week
According to an airline spokesperson, its service in the Kochi – Agatti route would be on track with six flights a week on a 48-seater ATR type aircraft.
Earlier, it had operated the service four days a week with a 16-seater Beech craft – 1900D type aircraft which was suspended a couple of months ago on completion of the aircraft's lease period.
The Agatti service by the Indian Airlines was first launched from the older airport in Kochi, during the tenure of P.M.Sayeed as the MP from Lakshadweep.
Tourism package
The service also contributed to a particular type of tourism package in which the tourists were airlifted to the islands after spending a few days in ‘God's Own Country'. Presently, Kingfisher is the only airline operating an ATR service to the island.
To Delhi
During the winter season, AI will also launch a direct service to the recently launched terminal 3 (T3) of Delhi airport from Kochi that is scheduled to take off from here at 7.35 p.m.
Presently, AI operates a morning flight to the destination that departs here at 7.30 a.m. and returns at 8.30 p.m. and the new service will take the total number of AI flights to Delhi from Kochi to 14 a week.
Service to Mumbai
Further, it also proposes to commence a daily direct service to Mumbai in an effort to tap the growing business traffic between Kochi and Mumbai that will depart here in the morning and return late in the evening.
