The Calcutta skies, playing host to a price war, are now popping up on many an international airline?s radar screen.

The Indian debut of the Singapore-based Jetstar Asia Airways, planned for August, will be followed by Qatar Airways in October. Even the UAE?s Eithad Airways has expressed interest to start operations here.

According to the flight plans drawn up by Doha-based Qatar Airways, the airline will start operations from October, connecting Calcutta with Doha either via Yangon or Dhaka, four times a week. Once the route is finalised, the airline will fix a ?competitive? price.

?The route has not been worked out yet, but by the end of this month a clearer picture should emerge,? said Subrata Guha, branch manager of Allied Aviation, the passenger sales agent of Qatar Airways.

Last week, Nepal?s low-cost carrier Cosmic Air started operations in Calcutta, with three flights a week to Kathmandu. The rock-bottom return rates are hovering around Rs 5,400, with an Rs-6,782 offer opening up a buy-one-get-one-free window.

The rate-slash bonanza has gained wings, with Malaysia Airlines dangling a Rs-7,000 discounted fare for Calcuttans travelling to Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Lankawi on August 13, 15 and 17, as an Independence Day offer.

?This is our way of saying thank you to the people here,? Mohamed Safri, area manager, eastern India, Malaysia Airlines, told Metro on Monday.

With the skies opening up and Calcutta emerging as an investment destination, the action at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport is hotting up this year. The travel agents fraternity is, understandably, buoyed by the recent turn of events.

?It is good that airlines like Jetstar and Qatar Airways are coming here. Their track record is very impressive, and the more the merrier,? said Anil Punjabi, chairman (east), Travel Agents Federation of India.

Sanjoy Sett, his counterpart in the Travel Agents Association of India, felt ?Calcutta has, indeed, opened its doors to the world, with so many new entrants connecting the city to the world map?.

Three days after Calcuttans celebrate Independence Day, Jetstar Asia will make its India debut from Calcutta.

The airline will deploy a 180-seater Boeing to take passengers from Calcutta to Singapore three times a week, tentatively scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, for around Rs 9,000 (round trip, all inclusive).

Singapore Airlines currently offers the lowest fares, as part of a special off-season scheme, effective from July 22 to August 19.

Although the tickets could be bought between July 5 and 15, both offers ? Rs 4,000 return to Singapore and Rs 6,000 to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Penang, followed by Rs 6,000 to Singapore and Rs 8,000 to the other three destinations ? were sold out in a day.

?The scheme has been very successful, and we will come up with more offers when the time is right,? said Bharath Mahadevan, manager, eastern India, Singapore Airlines.

Jetstar Asia has carved a niche in the low-cost segment in the region, with flights to Manila, Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

Next stop, Calcutta. According to Chooi Yee Choong, head of commissions, Jetstar Asia, Calcutta offers access to one of the emerging markets.

?The city is the gateway to the East and Jetstar has decided to be Bengal?s brand ambassador for the rest of the world,? he said over phone from Singapore.

Also working in favour of Calcutta is the population in the eastern region and the large movement of air passengers from the state ? around 4,000 per day.