New Delhi, Dec. 18: Air Costa, the south Indian regional airline, has secured a no-objection certificate from the ministry of civil aviation for pan-India operations.

The airline, promoted by Vijayawada-based construction company LEPL Group, is expected to start flights to Delhi, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi and Pune from the summer of 2016.

Vivek Choudhary, deputy CEO of Air Costa, said the airline would add an Embraer E190 (110-seater) aircraft to its fleet this month.

"This, followed by an addition in February 2016, shall take our fleet to five aircraft. Pan-India operations shall commence from the summer schedule 2016," he said.

The airline, in February 2014, had signed a deal with Brazil's aircraft maker Embraer SA to buy 50 E2 Jets that are equipped with latest avionics and upgraded engines with better fuel consumption.

Orders were placed for 25 E190-E2s and 25 E195-E2s, which have an estimated value of $2.94 billion based on 2014 list prices.

The airline has the rights to buy another 50 jets under the deal. It uses Embraer planes (two E170 with 67 seats, two E190 with 112 seats and two newly-inducted flights with 110 seats).