IndiGo has launched flights between Mysuru and Chennai three times a week to serve the rebounding domestic demand. The Mysuru-Chennai flight is revived after prolonged negotiations with IndiGo of traffic potential between two cities. The inaugural flight was commenced on August 13, carrying 35 passengers on both inbound and outbound flights.
As per the local news report, IndiGo flies ATR 72 regional jets to offer thrice-weekly flight operations on the Mysuru-Chennai route. This route is not new as Hyderabad-based regional airline Trujet previously operated it but discontinued it due to financial difficulties faced by the airline.
Mysuru, simply known as Mysore, is famous for its heritage structures and palaces, located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore airport offers regular flights to Indian cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, etc. It has a demand of 60-70 travelers for this route on a daily basis. The occupancy exceeds 80% in regional ATR72 aircraft. Since Trujet failed to pent-up this demand, the airport operator opted for IndiGo airlines, Mysore airport director R. Manjunath stated. However, the market potential is not responsible for the discontinuation of flight services by Trujet, but Trujet faced operational problems and downsized its fleet.
Chennai is an important city for regular as well as business people as it has a United States consulate. Many people require flights to Chennai for visa documentation procedures. So, IndiGo airlines can easily tap into this passenger demand easily. The flight duration from Mysuru to Chennai is under two hours instead of about 8 hours on overnight train rides, reflecting the need for Chennai flights to save time.
It’s not that IndiGo is launching the service for the first time, it commenced a similar service in March, yet the swift flow of Coronavirus halted the operations as the second wave hit the whole country.
Flight schedule from Mysuru to Chennai
IndiGo Airlines flight 6E 7269 will take off from Chennai at 2:50 pm and land at 4:15 at Mysuru airport. Similarly, the return flight will depart at 4:35 pm and will arrive in Chennai at 5:55 pm. Mysuru airport is set to commission these new flights operated by IndiGo airlines under Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).
As IndiGo has started flying to Mysuru, the airport now has connections with other cities like Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kochi, Goa, Hyderabad, and Chennai. The airport saw the air traffic of more than 45000 passengers this year. Daily flight movements in this airport are more than 15, with more than 500 passengers using the airport daily. Despite the lingering pandemic continuing to hit the airline operations, the occupancy rates of regional aircraft are higher than 80%, as per Mr. Manjunath.
Given the potential for a COVID-19 spike, all compliant measures are installed at the Mysuru airport, where passengers must wear masks and sanitizers. The introduction of new flights will help IndiGo airlines assess the occupancy and viability of operations on Mysuru-Chennai routes. It is the result of air travel demand between two cities in South India.
IndiGo’s regional expansion
The largest passenger airline of India, IndiGo Airlines is a primary operator in India’s air travel market, utilizing a fleet of more than 270 aircraft; 274 aircraft including the Airbus A320, A321, and ATR 72-600 models to deliver high operational reliability on more than 60 domestic destinations. As a low-cost carrier, the three pillars of this airline are to offer low fares, provide on-time performance and deliver a courteous and hassle-free experience. IndiGo Airlines pursues a regional connectivity scheme to build a strong and regional air network while preparing ambitious development of its regional footprint. In May 2017, IndiGo Airlines announced its plan to enter the regional market of India.
ATR aircraft to be used in the Mysuru-Chennai route will increase the efficacy of the operational management of IndiGo. In addition to ensuring passenger comfort onboard to economic versatility, the aircraft is also environmental-friendly.
The regional expansion of IndiGo airlines will link the air communities of India to implement its ambitious plans to develop business vigorously. India has a high potential for regional air operations, and IndiGo can serve to rebound domestic air traffic to achieve its regional development ambition.
IndiGo Airlines has recovered quickly in the domestic sector despite the wake of the COVID pandemic. It has added more aircraft to its fleet amid this pandemic to drive air connectivity to small regions of India.
