New Delhi: Major international carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) is in talks with the government and Air India to start operations to Bangalore and upgrade its passenger carrying capacity by using larger aircraft for other Indian destinations.

"We are holding discussions with Air India to start operations to Bangalore by April 2002 and work out a commercial arrangement in this regard," Rick Clements, SIA's vice president (Public Affairs), told a press conference in New Delhi.

Regarding upgrading of its aircraft to Delhi and Kolkata and introducing new services to Mumbai, he said the carrier would add about 140 more seats to Delhi by changing Boeing 777-200 to 777-300 and about 100 seats to Kolkata by introducing B 777-200 in place of A-310s.

He expressed hope that SIA would add three more services to Mumbai by October-November 2003, subject to commercial agreements with Air India and the air services agreement between India and Singapore.

SIA and its subsidiary, SilkAir, now operate to seven destinations in India - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, totalling about 24 flights a week. SIA Cargo operates one freighter service to Bangalore.

PTI