Even as SpiceJet is yet to resume flight services to Hubballi after the recent accident, Air Pegaus, another low cost airline, is getting ready to launch its services to the city.
As the SpiceJet aircraft was badly damaged and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation authorities had to hold an inquiry into the mishap, the flight services were temporarily suspended and Spicejet is operating its flights from Belagavi Airport.
“We cleared the runway on March 17 and gave a go-ahead for Spicejet to resume services. They were supposed to resume services from March 18 and now the word is that they might start from March 29,” Hubballi Airport director Shivanand Benal told The Hindu .
Mr. Benal said he had not received any official communication on Air Pegasus starting its services from Hubballi. However, he informed that Air Pegasus was keen on starting services from here. “In fact, they were to conduct trial runs at Hubballi. Since the mishap took place and runway was blocked temporarily, they shifted the trial run to Thiruvananthapuram,” he said. Air Pegasus has already mentioned on its website Hubballi as one of its destinations apart from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
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When contacted, information desk of the corporate office of Air Pegasus at Bengaluru, declined to give any information on the possible date of launch of the flight services. However, the person who received the call said that soon they would announce the launch through advertisements. Meanwhile an employee of Air Pegasus, who did not wish to be named, informed that there was likelihood of the services being launched by month-end. Air Pegasus will be operating a fleet of ATR-72 twin-engined turboprop aircraft.
It is expected to
begin by month-end