Date:08/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/07/08/stories/2005070806761900.htm

Business

BA, Air Sahara sign MoU

Special Correspondent

Lower fares on the cards on India-U.K. sector

NOT A PIE IN THE SKY: President-Air Sahara, Ronojoy Dutta (left), with British Airways Commercial Director, Martin George, at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday. — Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

NEW DELHI: British Airways and Air Sahara on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for mutual cooperation to offer the travelling public a better travel experience and for forging better global connectivity with India. Ultimately, it is expected to result in 10 to 15 per cent lower fares on the India-UK sector on the network of the two airlines.

Addressing a press conference here, Martin George, British Airways' Commercial Director, termed the MoU with Air Sahara as a "strategic alliance.''

During next year, BA will increase frequencies between the U.K. and India by more than 100 per cent, including the start of a new route between Bangalore and London Heathrow. Apart from extending their mutual networks, the airlines will benefit from each other's experience and expertise in the respective regions.

For the travellers, it would mean an all-clear through booking from places like Ahmedabad or Cochin to Manchester or Edinburgh. "We are working on evolving joint, point-to-point fares which will be 10 to 15 per cent lower than the existing fares,'' said Ranojoy Dutta, President, Air Sahara.