Leading low cost carrier SpiceJet announced that it will fly to international destinations from October 7, with the first flight from New Delhi to Kathmandu.
“Driven by the confidence vested in us by our stakeholders and their encouragement over the past five years, we are now thrilled to begin this new chapter in the achievement story of SpiceJet,” the company’s Director and interim CEO, Kishore Gupta, said in a statement.
After Kathmandu, the airline, owned by media baron Kalanithi Maran, will also begin daily flights on the Chennai-Colombo route from October 9. However, the flights to Kathmandu will be operated 6 days a week.
“We are pleased to welcome Colombo and Kathmandu as a part of our new global network and look forward to extending our hospitality to our passengers in this new phase of growth,” SpiceJet’s Chief Commercial Officer, Samyukth Sridharan, said.
Bookings for both Kathmandu and Colombo are now open, said the statement.
SpiceJet, which completes five years of domestic operations this month — a mandatory requirement to commence international flights — has previously got the government’s nod to fly on two more routes, Male and Dhaka.
The low-cost carrier, which will initiate seven more aircraft into its fleet this year, will use the new aircraft on international routes.
The airline at present has 21 aircraft in its fleet and has also placed orders with Boeing for 30 new aircraft in a deal worth $2.7 billion. Deliveries of these planes are scheduled to begin in 2014.
Last week, an Empowered Committee of the Civil Aviation Ministry had also given in-principle endorsement for the import of these aircraft.
