SpiceJet launched Amritsar-Dubai flight on 15 Nov – TNS

| Amritsar, Punjab | 16 Nov Oct 2015 | Asia Samachar |

SpiceJet is set to launch its Amritsar-Dubai flight from 15 Nov while Scoot Airline, a no-frills unit of Singapore Airlines, is expected to start operation of its Singapore-Amritsar-Singapore flight and Turkish Airline is also looking for starting a direct Istanbul-Amritsar-Istanbul flight by next year.

After the exit of various flights linking Amritsar with international destinations, Amritsar international Airport is once again looking for more international connectivity because many national and international airlines are evaluating options to open new circuits from Amritsar, reports Tribune News Service (TNS).

Malaysian hybrid airline Malindo Air on 25 Oct launched its first flight to Amritsar, India. The Kuala Lumpur-Amritsar flight OD271 operates on a thrice weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the airline said in a statement.

The inaugural flight from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) to Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Punjab marks Malindo Air’s seventh destination in India. Malindo Air is also the sole carrier to connect Southeast Asia to Amritsar.

SEE ALSO: Malindo Air launches inaugural flight to Amritsar

Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport Advisory Committee member Gunbir Singh said Singapore- based Scoot Airline and Turkish Airline were planning to start operations from the Amritsar airport. He added that the Amritsar airport was on the agenda of these airlines and a final decision was yet to be taken.

“It is indeed heartening that the holy city is yet again on the radar of international airlines for direct connectivity with important destinations,” he was quoted in the TNS report.

He said he had recently met CEO, Scoot Airline, and came to know that it is also considering flying between Amritsar-Singapore with a plane from its young fleet. This will enable students and visitors to travel to and from Australia, South-east Asia, China, Hong Kong as well as West coast of America and Canada.

This flight could consolidate connectivity to East Asia as Malindo Air had launched Kuala Lumpur-Amritsar flight. Earlier, Singapore Airlines had launched thrice a week Amritsar-Singapore flight on October 1, 2004. The service ran well for around five years before it was discontinued in early 2009.

The prospect of Turkish Airline is most interesting as with it a huge network through Istanbul would open up possibilities to the West and Middle East, the report added.

Air India had discontinued the Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto flight, which used to witness over 90 per cent occupancy, on October 31, 2010. Since then, no flight has successfully replaced it.

Amritsar airport director Venkateshwar Rao said officials of Scoot Airline were expected to visit the airport next month. He added that various airlines were weighing options to launch their operations depending upon profitability, the report adds.

Malindo Air launches inaugural flight to Amritsar (Asia Samachar, 27 Oct 2015)

Malindo, SpiceJet opens up Amritsar skies (Asia Samachar, 10 Oct 2015)