IndiGo plans Ktm-Delhi flight from August 4

Fares on the New Delhi- Kathmandu flight are poised to dip to as low as Rs 5,000, to the joy of budget travellers, as India’s low-cost carrier IndiGo readies to start operations to Kathmandu with seven trips a week from August 4.

The Gurgaon-based India’s domestic airline, which announced it would go international from September with flights to Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok, can actually debut with Kathmandu in August, if Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation gives it a green signal.

President International — IndiGo’s general sales agent in Nepal — said Indian civil aviation authorities have cleared the New Delhi-Kathmandu flight. Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal will give final permission after the ministry gives it a go ahead.

With Nepal celebrating 2011 as tourism year with a target of drawing one million air-borne tourists, President International said it would like to see the New Delhi-Kathmandu flight kick off from August 4.

The flight will see brand new 180-seater Airbus 320s with emphasis on low fares.

Currently, Jet Airways and Air India fly between the two capitals of South Asian neighbours along with other Indian budget carriers JetLite and Spicejet.

The one-way fare on budget airlines will come to as low as Rs 5,000, though there is no official announcement about IndiGo’s fare structure.

“Hotels in Kathmandu and other packages are extremely competitive,” according to Sharad Pradhan of Nepal Tourism Board.

“But the high fare puts off travellers,” he said, adding that fares from India to other countries like Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are far cheaper compared to flights to Kathmandu.

Earlier, domestic budget carrier Cosmic Air started the price war selling lower priced tickets on the route but cvould not survive due to high operation cost.(Source:THT)

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