Paramount Airways plans westward expansion

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu-based premium business-class airline Paramount Airways has said that it plans to expand its operations to western India, with flights to Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune and Goa. 

Paramount Airways will launch a flight between Chennai and Ahmedabad within the month, and will soon start services to Mumbai, Pune and Goa.

In a statement, the airline said that with the launch of the Chennai - Ahmedabad flight, passengers from Coimbatore, Madurai and Cochin would find it more convenient to travel via Chennai. The airline says that Gujarati traders are regular visitors to Tamil Nadu for business, and the new flight would be popular with this segment. 

Paramount Airways managing director M Thiagarajan said that the airline's foray into the western region would opens up new routes for the airline, by  taking advantage of the existing unmet demand in this sector. 

In June 2007, Paramount Airways had said it was considering expanding into the western region through an acquisition, if the right opportunity presents itself. At the time, M Thiagarajan, managing director of Paramount Airways had said that discussions with other airlines to evaluate a possible acquisition were in progress, while additionally Paramount Airways is also growing organically. At the time, the airline claimed to control a 26-per cent market share in South India. (See: Paramount Airways plans on going west)

In July 2008, the Madurai-based airline had said that it was planning addition of new routes on its destination network, and would increase the number of flights the airline operates from 62 a day to 66 over the coming weeks. (See: Regional carrier, Paramount Airways, to add routes, increase frequencies)