Jagson Airlines Introduces Low Fare Flights To Rajasthan

Neeti Chopra - New Delhi

Jagson Airlines, the private domestic carrier, has recently joined the low-cost bandwagon by launching its low-fare flights to Jaipur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer from Delhi and has drawn up plans to connect Kolkata with Nagpur at a later date. Said Jagdish P Gupta, chairman, Jagson Airlines, "This will be a low cost airline with full frills and no compromise on services. The flights to Rajasthan will be flying six days a week and have differential low fares starting from Rs 850 a ticket to Jaipur. This is extremely competitive, if you look at prices of the Shatabdi trains."

Unlike other airlines, these new flights are afternoon flights. "The players in the market have flights to these medium-haul destinations either in the morning or evening. Therefore, we have scheduled our services in a fashion which will be more convenient for passenger," said Gupta.

Jagson Airlines is on a fast track of expanding its operations to other parts of the country which offer immense tourist potential, namely Gujarat and Rajasthan. When asked why Rajasthan was chosen, Gupta responded, "The focus of Jagson Airlines has always been the centres of tourist attraction in particular Himachal Pradesh, which has tremendous unexplored tourist potential. Rajasthan as a tourist destination attracts a lot of foreign tourists. With the operation of these new flights, we want to become a foreign exchange earner for our country."

Plans are afoot to achieve optimum utilisation of its existing fleet of Dorniers. The airline, which commenced its operations in 1991, currently has a fleet of three 18-seater Donier aircraft and one five-seater Chetak helicopter. The Chetak helicopter was acquired recently from the Rajasthan government. Jagson Airlines has plans to purchase two Canadian 50-seater Bombardier aircraft on lease cum purchase basis. "Each of the Bombardier would cost six to seven million dollars depending on their age. The delivery of these is expected from six to eight months from now," concluded Gupta.