Malaysia Airlines: Hello, Calcutta

It?s finally here. Several years of waiting and rounds of negotiations later, Malaysia Airlines is all set to touch down at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport on Saturday, at 1 am.

This marks a significant high for an airport long denied a share of the international sky pie. The airline was given permission for Calcutta flights by the civil aviation ministry in January 2003, when the last bilateral agreement was signed with the Indian government. But it?s taken two years to take off.

?According to the rules, we had to sign a commercial agreement with Air-India on three counts ? pay them royalty, share revenue and give them a certain number of seats free, to sell at special prices,? said Germal Singh Khera, assistant general manager, international affairs, Malaysia Airlines.

?For a long time, we couldn?t get a meeting with them on Calcutta. Finally, in October 2004, we were told the commercial agreement was no longer required,? he added.

In Calcutta, it kicks off with an A330, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. ?Our market research shows that outbound travel is very strong here. We expect maximum customers from the leisure segment, but there will also be businessmen, students and those visiting friends and relatives,? observed Khera.

The leisure travel arm of Malaysia Airlines, Golden Holidays, is also promoting travel to Calcutta, with a four-day-three-night stay.

Malaysia Airlines is in expansion mode. While the Asean region remains important, the focus for the five-year plan is on China and India.

?We increased Delhi to four a week, Mumbai from four to seven, Bangalore from two to three and Hyderabad from one to two. In Hyderabad, we can add one more, but that?s it. In Chennai, we upgraded the daily flight from A330 to 747,?said Khera.

Malaysia Airlines started a thrice-weekly flight from Ahmedabad in December, and will be following up with flights to Amritsar, Cochin, Trichy and Thiruvananthapuram, ?soon?.

The airline currently has a fleet of 102 aircraft, owned by its holding company PMB, which will be augmented in 2007 with the new A380s.

By March, personalised service will start on board, with new first and business-class seating arrangements, including single, bed-style seating in the first class.