New aviation player: Zoom Air to start commercial operations from Feb 15

ZOOM AIR, which received the schedule operating permit from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on February 3, launched its inaugural flight from Delhi to Durgapur on Sunday. The company which is currently operating with one 50-seater regional jet Bombardier CRJ-200LR, plans to add four more planes by May.

The airline will start daily scheduled operations from February 15 on Delhi-kolkatadurgapur-delhi route, which will be extended to Amritsar in the afternoon. A Delhi-suratbhavnagar-delhi flight will start in a couple of months.

“The airline has been funded with Rs 20 crores paid up equity. We plan to put in another Rs 20 crores during the year to expand operations. It’s a debt free company,” said Koustav M Dhar, CEO and director, Zoom Air.

He said the airline will be different from the low cost carriers thatdominatethemarketasitwill serve food, snacks and beverages to all its customers free of cost.

Zoom Air has taken three CRJ-200LR jets on dry lease from CRJ Aircraft Leasing, Dublin and two similar regional jets have been taken on lease from Skyone FZE aircraft leasing of the UAE.

As per its route planning, the company plans to connect Delhi and Kolkata to Tirupati, Vijaywada, Mumbai, Shillong, Aizawl, Pasighat, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Indore and Bhopal.

Dhar said the company expects to make a break even profit in 18 months, which assumes the airlines will be able to fill 70-75 per cent of its seats and an average ticket price of Rs 3,000 per seat.

The writer was in Durgapur on the invitation of Zoom Air