Chennai flights see sharp dip

Chennai flights see sharp dip
Anshul Dhamija & V Ayyappan | TNN

Bangalore/Chennai: The everincreasing oil prices and poor connectivity to the Bengaluru International Airport are causing a meltdown in air travel on the Bangalore-Chennai route.
The route was once highly profitable, constituting the third largest sector for Bangalore, with 22 daily fights, after Mumbai (30) and New Delhi (26). “We have cut our frequency from four daily flights to two,’’ said M Thiagarajan, MD, Paramount Airways. Four daily flights operating out of the old HAL airport were recording 85% occupancy. “Now it’s down to 70% in peak hours and 50% in non-peak hours.”
Costs are adding to the burden. The price of a one-way Bangalore-Chennai ticket ranges between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000. The base price has risen over Rs 1,000 in the past few months and the fuel surcharge 30%. Final blow will be once BIA introduces the user development fee (Rs 675 plus taxes).
Sources said, “There was a startling 60% dip in passenger bookings per flight after BIA opened. Only the day’s first flight, like the 6.20 am service, gets fully booked. Other services suffer low load.”
While low-cost carrier Spice-Jet is said to be trimming its operations — from one daily flight to just 4-5 flights a week — a Deccan official said it is rationalizing routes. Ditto with premium carriers Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines.
Deccan founder Capt. G R Gopinath had told TOI before the opening of BIA: “Having only one airport will mean the death of regional connectivity.”