Kingfisher Airlines is expected to announce within the next few days the introduction of a daily service between London Heathrow and the Indian IT centre of Bangalore.This follows confirmation by the authorities that Kingfisher”s majority stake in Deccan will meet Indian airline regulations that insist carriers must have been operating a minimum of five years domestically before gaining an international licence. Formerly known as Air Deccan the airline first took off on 23 August 2005.
The 11-hour Airbus A330 flight will compete directly with a British Airways Boeing 747 daily service. However Kingfisher will only offer a two-class operation against BA”s four distinct cabins. Kingfisher will probably operate out of T4.
The initial Airbus A330 for the service has already been delivered and was prominently shown at the recent Farnborough Air Show.
The airline says that its business class product (confusingly called Kingfisher First) is more akin to the premier class of other carriers with a 2+2+2 flat seat arrangement, and an on-board chef, rather like bmi”s long haul. A useful novelty is a jacket pressing service. Five course meals will be provided plus what the airline calls a ”social area” comprising a full bar, staffed with a bartender, and a break-out seating area with two couches and bar stools.
Called Kingfisher Class, economy has a 34” pitch with a 2+4+2 layout with in-seat chargers, USB connectors, mood lighting, and a web-chat and email facility. The airline says that the in-flight catering will be of a much higher grade than is normal and passengers are treated to a full 10.5” screen offering 35 channels and up to 357 hours of digitalised TV. In Kingfisher First the touch screen is a massive 17”.
Kingfisher is part of the United Breweries Group, one of India”s largest companies which also own the Scottish distiller Whyte and Mackay. Its maiden flight was made on 9 May 2005 and it currently operates 18 ATR 72s and 24 Airbus 320 series. It has large outstanding orders for Airbus A320, A330, A350 and A380 planes, all needed for ambitious expansion plans.
Malcolm Ginsberg