Thursday, January 20 2005 18:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines venture would be launched in Mumbai to coincide with his son Siddarth's 18th birthday on May 7, 2005 with the first commercial flight of A320 slated two days later.

"The airlines launch has been scheduled on May 7, 2005 to coincide with the 18th birthday of my son Siddarth and the services from May 9, 2005", Mallya told reporters after an extraordinary general meeting of his flagship firm United Breweries Limited (UB) in Bangalore.

Officials said the new private airlines would start reservations from April one for the Mumbai-Delhi route.

Mallya said the airlines would launch its services on the Mumbai-Bangalore and Bangalore-Delhi trunk routes in phases during the current year when Airbus Industries delivers two more A-320s.

According to him, the budget airlines would offer the luxury of having video-screen for every single seat with individual in-flight entertainment system to watch movies, videos and a choice of six channels to select programmes by the passengers.

The airlines, he added, is also contemplating wide-bodied aircraft (A380) for operating international routes like Singapore and other destinations in south east asia and the middle east as and when the Government permits private airlines to fly overseas.