NEW DELHI: Some 10-12 towns will get on to the aviation map of the country with Air-India planning new flights as part of the country’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), which was launched on Oct. 20, a source in the airline told Express.
The carrier’s first RCS flight, to be operated by its subsidiary Alliance Air, will likely take off in January. At least six of the new destinations are likely to be in the five southern states: Telangana, Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
Prepping to spread its wings to regional skies, Air India has stepped closer to buying 10 new ATR-72s, a twin-engine, 72-seater turboprop aircraft, from the French-Italian manufacturer ATR. Air India chairman and managing director Ashwani Lohani said a deal to buy 10 19-seater Dorniers from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is also on the cards.Money for the new aircraft will likely come from special grants and additional budgetary allocations by the central government.When RCS is in full flight, India’s aviation sector is expected to grow to 100 million passengers (domestic + international) soon. It currently stands at 99.6 million.
The RCS is a pet project of the Modi government. It aims at connecting unserved and under-served airports in the country. The programme has been delegated to Air-India. No private carrier has come forward to fly to RCS destinations despite the offer of several incentives.
A senior aviation official said Air India will start off with ATRs and Dorniers on the RCS routes initially to create demand. Dornier 228s are used by the Indian Air Force and Coast Guard. The RCS aims to develop or revive 50 airports in the next five years, and 390 airstrips overall. Currently, 125 airports are operated by the Airports Authority of India of which only 75 are functional.