‘We Will Fly Direct To Secondary Cities’

M Thiagarajan, a qualified pilot with a passion for aviation, is gearing up to launch Paramount Airways based in Coimbatore. In conversation with S Nithya Kamakshi, he talks about the airline's forthcoming plans.

How do you plan to enter a market that is beginning to show signs of being overcrowded?

Our business model will offer travellers world class products and unparalleled comfort at affordable fares. It will be a premium service, low-cost schedule airline that will offer direct service to a number of secondary cities in India and also connect them to metro cities across the country. We will have an all-business class service on the first two Embraer 170 aircraft and a first and business class on the next three Embraer 175 aircraft.

Is there any particular reason for selecting the Embraer for your six short-range jets?

In the Indian aviation sector there are currently two types of aircraft operating - Turbo-props (ATR 42/72) and large jets (Boeing 737/Airbus A320). The Turbo-props have a range of about 300 nm and carry about 40 to 70 passengers. While these can service cities that have low passenger traffic, they also have a range limitation. On the other hand, we have the large jets namely the Boeing 737s and A320s that can connect any two points in India and carry about 145 to 185 passengers. These aircraft cannot be deployed on routes where the passenger load is low. So currently, there exists a gap in the Indian market, since there are no jets that can operate on longer routes (over 300 nm) and passenger load do not justify a larger jet.

The Brazilian Embraer170 aircraft can fly between any two points in India and can be effectively deployed on routes where the traffic is low as the seating capacity is only about 70 passengers.

Why did you choose the Embraer E-jet?

The choice of Embraer E-jet family is strategic to our model, which is focused on providing the business traveller with an aircraft that offers large cabin amenities such as wider aisles and seats, greater baggage storage and overhead bins and full-service galleys while maintaining smaller jet economies.

Hence, the business class pricing will be much lower than that of the current economy fares of other full-service airlines and only slightly higher than that of other no-frills airlines in the country.

What will set you apart from all other LCCs in India?

Paramount will be the only airline in India to offer full business class service at prices significantly lower than the normal economy class fares of other airlines. The seat pitch will be very generous even for a six-feet tall passenger and there will be no cramped middle seats. Seats will be assigned at time of check-in, according to passenger preference. There will be four cabin crew in a flight of 70 passengers, which is among the highest ratio of cabin crew to passengers in the world.

Paramount Mills of Madurai is funding this project. Why this sudden shift from the textile industry to the aviation industry?

Paramount Airways, as a company, was incorporated as early as 1998. We had been studying the market and were waiting for the right time to enter the sector therefore it cannot be termed as a sudden shift, and rather, a transition.

How do you plan to position Paramount Airways?

Paramount Airways will not compete directly with any other airlines currently operating in India. Without adding additional capacity to the existing routes operated by other airlines, we will strive to provide better point-to-point access to those secondary cities that are presently not directly connected to each other or are very poorly connected.

Comment on your distribution network and what kind of overall investment did it take to start this venture?

The airline will sell tickets through the Internet, call centers and travel agents. The cost of the project valued at list price is estimated to be about US $138 million.