Kingfisher First to cost more than BA first class

Mallya promises ‘good times’ for international travellers

FARNBOROGH: So far, Indians have been ‘flying the good times’ domestically thanks to Kingfisher Airlines. Now, they can ‘win over the world’.

Kingfisher, which bought over Deccan to circumvent government regulations stipulating that airlines must fly domestic for five years before they go international, will launch its international operations at the end of August with direct flights between Mumbai and London and Bangalore and London.

Vijay Mallya, the king of good times, stood behind the well-stocked bar in his Airbus 330-200 and said it was time for the government to do away with the five-year rule.

“We bought Deccan so that we could get round the regulation to start our international operations. I would certainly like to see the end of the five-year rule. It is unnecessary and stalls healthy competition,” said the liquor and airline baron.

Kingfisher is the second private airline after Jet Airways to begin international routes. Mallya promised that its impending long-haul flights would use only the Airbus 330 and provide a world-class experience. “There are a large number of Indian travellers who are ready to pay for value and quality,” said Mallya, promising a ‘wow’ factor in the company’s new tagline.

He refused to reveal how much passengers would have to pay for the ‘wow’ factor. “Being the best in the sky doesn’t come cheap, and Kingfisher will never sell cheap,” added Mallya, with the glint in his eye complementing the diamonds in his earlobes.
He said Kingfisher First tickets would be more expensive than British Airways’ first-class fares.

Mallya flew into Farnborough International Airshow at Hampshire in a helicopter with his 18-year-old son Siddharth in tow. Flanked by beautiful air hostesses wearing Kingfisher’s reds, the flamboyant industrialist, who has styled himself as India’s Richard Branson, spoke to a select group of Indian and British media.

He insisted that everyone try out the first-class seats with their built-in massager. “I have designed0 the seats myself. Aren’t they comfortable?” he asked, with the appeal of a child. The red leather seats are comfortable to sit on but are a bit too bright for the eyes.
Kingfisher has been lucky in getting a pair of slots at the congested Heathrow airport for its London flights. “At the time we applied for slots, a South American airline had to stop its flights and we were able to pick up a nice pair of slots,” said Mallya.

Kingfisher will be sending it narrow-bodied aircrafts to 13 countries in Asia and the
Middle East in the next 90 days. Its wide-bodied aircrafts will fly to London and beyond. “Though there are several players in the Mumbai-London non-stop sector, the market is still growing. So I don’t see a problem in demand. And as for Bangalore-London, we only have BA as a competitor, which will not be difficult to handle,” said a confident Mallya.

He said that South India formed a large component of India’s economic engine and there were many travellers that would be glad the route is being serviced. The airline will use Bangalore as its hub.

Kingfisher also plans to fly Bangalore to San Francisco non-stop. “This is a no-brainer.
We want to connect Silicon Valley with the Indian silicon valley and there is a lot of demand for it,” said Mallya. The planned Bangalore-New York flight, however, may fall by the wayside. “We are looking at New York critically, but haven’t decided about it yet.”

Kingfisher has already got five Airbus 330 and should get another five in 2009. it has also ordered the massive Airbus 380-the world’s largest airplane with a double-decker experience-and hopes to get it by 2011.

He avoided a discussion on statistics and where he would get the massive investment needed for the purchases.

But his upbeat mood extended to the industry’s future too, never mind the rising costs of oil.

“I feel more and more concerned as the price of oil goes up but India is a unique market. It has a huge middle class with rising income levels and a geography where rail and road travel is not an option. Air travel is a necessity in India. This ensures I don’t worry about expansion,” said Mallya.

The chairman of the UB group blamed the airline industry’s woes on the government. “In India, we pay a 30% sales tax on aviation fuel and that is killing. But UB has huge cash flows which will see Kingfisher through turbulent times. We are not nearly as vulnerable as our competitors in India,” he said.