GoAir to launch in March from Colombo
India’s budget carrier GoAir has scheduled operations to commence direct flights next month eyeing potential pilgrim traffic of about 80 per cent load factor on average between Colombo and Bengaluru and Delhi.
Flights will be operational from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Colombo and airports in Delhi and Bengaluru that offer direct connectivity to the popular pilgrimage “The Buddhist Circuit” that includes places like Bodhgaya, Vaishali, Rajgir in Bihar and Sarnath, Shravasti, Kishinagar in Uttar Pradesh. GoAir has direct flights to Varnasi and Patna from Delhi and Bengaluru.
The airline has introduced these two new routes scheduled to commence from March 20 with Royal Spence, the fully owned subsidiary, of Aitken Spence that is acting as the airline’s GSA partner.
GoAir is the aviation arm of India’s 283-year old Wadia Group that comprises leading brands including the 156 year-old Bombay Burmah, 140 year-old Bombay Dyeing, 101 year-old Britannia Ltd, 65 year-old National Peroxide Ltd, the decade old Bombay Realty and many others.
The airline currently operates over 300 flights daily having carried 80 million passengers since its inception in 2005.
GoAir’s daily flight (except Wednesday) G8 39 will depart from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 10.35 hours (local time) and will reach BIA Colombo at 14:10 hours (local time). The return flight G8 40 will depart from Colombo at 15:10 hours (local time) on all days (except Wednesday) and arrive in Delhi at 19:00 hours (local time).
The airline’s flight G8 47 will depart from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport at 20:05 hours (local time) on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday and at 20:20 hours (local time) on Saturday and will reach BIA at 21:55 hours (local time) on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and arrive in Bengaluru at 00:30 hours (local time).
The airline is currently expanding its fleet having placed the order for 144 Airbus A320 neos to come in over the next 7-8 years. The low cost carrier currently has 54 in its fleet.