Welcome aboard Mallya's funliner

10 May 2005

Sajeev Nair was at Mumbai airport at the crack of dawn to catch Vijay Mallya at his exuberant best at the take-off of his most ambitious venture.

"When you are happy, fly Kingfisher Airlines," declared liquor baron and chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya, as the majestic A320-200 aircraft was hauled to the passenger bay prior to its take-off on the newly floated airlines' maiden flight from Mumbai airport at the first light of dawn yesterday morning.

True to its image as the `king of good times', Kingfisher Airlines has ushered in a new era of flying — in comfort and style at prices that are lower than existing fares in the country. Among the most important selling points of Kingfisher Airlines are its prices, which are lower by around 35 to 40 per cent, compared to other carriers operating in the country. But don't confuse the carrier with a no-frills one, and the services on board are slated to be the best available in the country.

Its lowest fare is Rs3,900 for the Bangalore-Mumbai sector followed by the next two slabs of Rs4,900 and Rs5,900, which is the highest on the sector. On the Bangalore-Delhi sector, Kingfisher Airlines has priced the first slab at Rs6,900, the next at Rs8,900 and the highest at Rs10,900.

"It is one of the most important projects in my career," Mallya told his guests and well-wishers assembled at the airport to cheer the take-off of the first flight.

The airlines' well-trained and attractive cabin crew, termed as "walking models in the air" by the flamboyant Mallya, seem to have aroused animated discussion in the industry. The crew onboard Kingfisher Funliner, as Mallya terms it, has been handpicked by the UB Group chairman himself, who also approved the specially structured training programme for them.

"I have instructed the crew to treat every guest in the same way as if they have visited my home." The stewardess' uniforms — a combination of red and white, which are the colours of the red and white insignia of the carrier — were designed by India's leading fashion designer Manoviraj Khosla.