Low-cost connectivity is the key: Capt GR Gopinath

Bangalore: Low cost connectivity will determine the future of air transport in India, asserts Capt GR Gopinath, managing director, Air Deccan, and recent recipient of the French Government's highest civilian award the "Chevalier de la legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour)." According to Capt Gopinath, the next big focal point for the Indian aviation industry is going to be low cost domestic cargo services.

In a freewheeling interview with domain-b Capt Gopinath strikes a confident note about the future of his airline in the hurly-burly world of Indian aviation, saying that his pioneering low-cost carrier was looking forward to implementing an aggressive fleet expansion plan, the opening of new routes and a further strengthening of its existing network.

Having run into a spot of rough weather lately, Capt Gopinath confesses that the coming year would be a challenging one for the carrier, as its sustainability would likely be questioned. However, he asserts, the signs for the carrier were hopeful as routes launched last year begin to mature and deliver higher yields. These new routes, he points out, constitute as much as 58 per cent of all of Air Deccan's routes.

Air Deccan, India's first and pioneering low-cost carrier or in industry parlance LCC, has in a short span of four years grown to become the second-largest service provider in the country's booming aviation sector, leaving many an established airline behind in its wake.

Casting an eye on larger issues, Gopinath, expresses his satisfaction at the initiatives and measures undertaken by the government to resolve sector related problems, which contribute to high costs for all airlines. In particular he is happy with the recent decision to reduce navigation and airport charges for regional airlines which he says will be extremely beneficial, not only for the airlines but also for regional travellers.

On the flip side, he points out that given the fact that expansion of air transport in India was amongst the fastest in the world, there was still much to be done to match global standards.

Striking a nostalgic note, Capt Gopinath remembers that almost four years ago a solitary aircraft took off from Bangalore airport carrying with it "…a few passengers, the cynicism of many skeptics -- and also a promise. A promise, to bring air travel within the reach of the common man by providing low fares and enhanced connectivity. Also, as that aircraft took off into a clear sky, it carried with it the hopes and dreams of a billion Indians."

The results of that historic flight are by now evident. Four years later, from a solitary aircraft Air Deccan has grown into a fleet of 43, and after ferrying almost 11 million passengers has already affected a revolution in the industry.