AirAsia reintroduces Chennai-Bengaluru flights

Chennai: Budget carrier AirAsia has resumed its service in the Chennai-Bengaluru sector more than two years after it suspended operations in this route.

The Tata-AirAsia joint venture airline would fly five times a day in and out of Chennai to Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar.

The first flight left for Bengaluru at 7.25 a.m on Saturday. AirAsia India, CEO and Managing Director, Amar Abrol announced the launch of five daily flights on Twitter.

"We are back! Launching 5 daily flights connecting Chennai to Bangalore and Bhubaneswar #noweveryonecanfly #Chennai @AirAsia," he tweeted.

The Bengaluru-headquartered air carrier also announced the induction of Airbus A320 into the fleet taking the total to 15. From Saturday, the airline will operate three daily flights to Bengaluru and two to Bhubaneswar from Chennai making it as the 17th destination.

"We are launching Chennai in the 17th destination in the network. Starting with four flights, three direct. Three from Bengaluru-Chennai-Bengaluru and one from Chennai-Bhubaneswar," he told PTI.

"The three Chennai-Bangalore will be morning, afternoon and evening. Chennai-Bhubaneswar starting a new route. It is daily", he said.

To a query, he said, the airliner is "reintroducing the flights on the route" as the time was ripe.

"Now we are at 15 aircraft. Today the new aircraft operations will begin. And that is going to these new routes," he said.

AirAsia currently flies to 16 destinations from Bengaluru, New Delhi and Kolkata, covering Kochi, Goa, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Pune, Guwahati, Imphal, Vishakapatnam, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Bagdogra, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar.