Monday, August 29 2005 15:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Air Deccan, India's first low cost airline took to the skies with its commercial flight on the 27th of August 2003 from Bangalore to Hubli with one aircraft, two destinations and a commitment to change the aviation landscape of India by 'empowering every Indian to fly'.

In two years, Air Deccan has:

· Changed distribution patterns- introduced e-ticketing, opened up Reliance web worlds, Petrol stations HPCL - which had never sold air tickets.

· Provided lowest airfares - brought it down to an unbeatable level of Re-01/-, and got the other airlines to drop their fares too.

· Connected unconnected destinations brought in Nashik, Gwalior, Hubli, Belgaum, Dehradun.

We have made our airline affordable, accessible and chartered a new route in the aviation map of India. We have ushered in a new era in aviation and have a slew of airlines following us, ready to take to the skies. In the process, we have forced the existing legacy airlines to take a relook at their fares and drop them too!!!

Today, we fly to 35 destinations, operate 120 flights a day, have a fleet of 17 aircrafts and have flown 02 million passengers. We have placed confirmed orders for 62 brand new aircrafts.

The two years have been challenging, the growth unprecedented in Aviation history of India. Through it, Air Deccan has succeeded in shattering the myth that air travel is for the elite. Our list of passengers have varied from the much travelled Mr. Chidambaram The finance Minister, Mr. Azim Premji, Dr. Devi Shetty to the never ever dreamt of air travel auto driver, retired school teacher, baker, fruit vendor, Government clerk. Flying each of them has been learning, a challenge, above all it is filled with a sense of achievement.

Capt.Gopinath, said "the number of years completed is not our milestone, the 2 million Indians we have enabled to fly definitely is. We have a long way to go. I believe there are 01 billion Indians who should be able to fly. He also added 'next year we will take delivery of another 12 brand new aircrafts which will enable us to add 100 flights to our schedule."

Lastly he thanked the Media, passengers, the Government machinery, partners, vendors and employees for supporting and prodding to move ahead ...even before the first flight took off. This has been an achievement not just for Air Deccan, but also for the nation as a whole, which is ready to scale much higher heights."