Ranchi, May 10: Fly to Delhi for Rs 1,000.

If the directorate-general of civil aviation flashes the green light, Air Deccan will start prime time flights from June 1 on the Delhi-Ranchi-Patna-Delhi sector.

The prime time flights ? the company plans to operate a 180-seater Airbus ? will help a passenger from Ranchi fly to Patna or Delhi in the morning and return the same evening.

The no-frill airline has planned a fare structure where the cheapest one-way ticket from Ranchi to Delhi can be booked for Rs 1,000, with the maximum slab being Rs 8,000. For a Ranchi to Patna flight, a passenger will have to shell out between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,500 depending on availability of seats.

In comparison, Indian charges Rs 10,800 for a one-way Ranchi-Delhi flight and Rs 4,085 for a ride to Patna.

Even train travel to the national capital costs more. The fare on the Ranchi-New Delhi Rajdhani Express is Rs 3,380 by First AC, Rs 1,970 on AC two-tier and Rs 1,460 on AC 3.

The airline is also ready to launch a Jamshedpur-Calcutta ATR service from mid-June provided the runway at the Sonari airport is extended.

Air Deccan had bagged the contract to start prime time flights between Ranchi and Delhi which came with the Jharkhand government?s guarantee to purchase 25 seats on each flight. The company is awaiting a Rs 85-lakh advance payment for the seats every month for six months to start the services.

The decision to launch the flight was taken following chief minister Arjun Munda?s direction to the industries department to immediately release the subsidy to the company without waiting for the funds to come from Delhi, said Harendra Kumar Singh, press adviser to the chief minister.

In a meeting yesterday with Air Deccan official John Kuruvilla and industries secretary S.K. Satpathi, Munda said the Union government grant can be adjusted after Delhi releases the funds. The prime time flight is under a scheme sponsored by the Centre to boost industry in Jharkhand. The fund required in the form of subsidy or guaranteed seats will be borne by Delhi.

If everything goes according to plan, Munda will flag off the flight from Ranchi on June 1, Singh said.