Kingfisher Airlines Expands International Route Network

Mumbai, May 15, 2009—Kingfisher Airlines, India's only Five Star airline, rated by Skytrax, today announced the launch of daily direct flights connecting Kolkata with Dhaka from May 15, 2009. The launch of this new route marks the first time that Kingfisher Airlines is commencing international flights from Kolkata. Kolkata becomes the fourth city in India from where Kingfisher Airlines offers international connectivity.

(L to R): Mr. Gireesh Bhaskar, Area Sales Manager- Bangladesh, Kingfisher Airlines Limited; Mr. Ahmed Yusufwalid, Managing Director, Air Galaxy; Mr. Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Honourable High Commissioner of India; Mr. Siva Ramachandran, Vice President-Global Sales, Kingfisher Airlines Limited along with Air Marshal Jamaluddin Ahmed, Chairman, Biman Bangladesh Airlines at the cake cutting ceremony to celebrate the launch of Kingfisher Airlines services connecting Dhaka with Kolkata at the Zia International Airport on May 15, 2009		(L to R): Mr. Siva Ramachandran, Vice President-Global Sales, Kingfisher Airlines Limited handing over an aircraft model to Mr. Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Honorable High Commissioner of India to celebrate the launch of Kingfisher Airlines services connecting Dhaka with Kolkata at the Zia International Airport on May 15, 2009

The flights will be operated using the twin-turboprop ATR aircraft featuring the award-winning Kingfisher Experience. The flights between Kolkata and Dhaka will be operated as Kingfisher Red service. The Kingfisher Red service is a unique class of low fare flying from Kingfisher Airlines and offers guests a whole host of benefits besides the trademark Kingfisher service at low fares. The Kingfisher Red service features complimentary hot, delicious food and a choice of beverages, great reading material, frequent flier privileges and multiple check-in facilities.

The outbound flight will depart from Kolkata at 1:35 in the afternoon daily and arrives in Dhaka at 3:15 in the afternoon, local time. The return flight will take off from Dhaka at 4 in the afternoon and will reach Kolkata at 4:15 in the afternoon.

(L to R): Mr. Siva Ramachandran, Vice President-Global Sales, Kingfisher Airlines Limited handing over an aircraft model to Air Marshal Jamaluddin Ahmed, Chairman, Biman Bangladesh Airlines to celebrate the launch of Kingfisher Airlines services connecting Dhaka with Kolkata at the Zia International Airport on May 15, 2009		Mr. Siva Ramachandran, Vice President-Global Sales, Kingfisher Airlines Limited hands over the first boarding pass to a guest on the inaugural Kingfisher Airlines Kolkata- Dhaka flight.

Commenting on the launch of the first new international route out of Kolkata, Mr. Siva Ramachandran, Vice President-Global Sales, Kingfisher Airlines Limited said, “I am delighted to announce the launch of services connecting Kolkata to Dhaka. Travellers on this route will now have the option of choosing to fly the award winning Kingfisher experience. Besides catering to travellers from Kolkata, this new route is expected to cater to the outlying markets in this region. For travellers flying in from Dhaka, they will now have the added advantage of convenient connectivity to onward destinations in India thanks to the large and unparalleled route network of Kingfisher Airlines. Given our attractive and competitive fares, the initial response to the launch of these new flights has been extremely encouraging and we look forward to rapidly consolidating our share of the market on this new international route out of Kolkata.”

The introduction of these new flights connecting Kolkata and Dhaka marks the third phase of the international route expansion plan of Kingfisher Airlines. Earlier this year, Kingfisher Airlines launched daily direct services between Mumbai and London and daily flights connecting Chennai with Colombo and Bangalore with Colombo. In the first phase of the roll out of its international route network, Kingfisher Airlines commenced services from Bangalore to London last year.

Kingfisher Airlines has blazed a trail of innovations and introduced a range of market-firsts that have completely redefined the whole experience of flying. By elevating its customers to a level of being ‘guests’ and not just passengers, Kingfisher Airlines has endeared itself to consumers.

About Kingfisher Airlines:

Kingfisher Airlines is India's only Five Star airline, rated by Skytrax, and the only one to offer a premium first class. Besides being the first and only airline in India to offer in-flight entertainment on every seat, Kingfisher offers LIVE TV with 16 channels of live and exciting content. The airline has received numerous awards for innovation, customer responsiveness and was voted the ‘Best New Airline of the Year’, within months of its launch.

Kingfisher Airlines is a part of the UB Group that is one of India’s largest conglomerates with diverse interests and a global presence. The UB Group is also the largest Indian alcoholic beverages (beer and spirits) company and the third largest drinks group in the world. Kingfisher Airlines covers all segments of air travel from low fares to premium service and offers most flights by any single airline network in India. Kingfisher Airlines now connects 70 cities with a fleet of 75 aircraft and operates over 425 flights a day in India.

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