Air Deccan adjudged best low-fare airline by APAI

Mumbai: Air Deccan, India''s second largest airline, has won the `Best Low Fare Airline'' award for the year 2006. The award has been instituted by the Air Passenger Association of India (APAI).

A selection was done through a poll conducted amongst APAI members, aviation correspondents from across the country and frequent flyers from various industrial bodies.

Capt G R Gopinath, managing director of Air Deccan, received the award at the opening ceremony of the `Airport and Airline Expo'' at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on March 26.

"Being adjudged `India''s Best Low Fare Airline'' is an endorsement of the Air Deccan vision of enabling every Indian to fly. Air connectivity is the key to harness the vast potential; that the tourism and hospitality industry has in India. Tourism is the largest industry in the world today and a harbinger of development, employment and prosperity to a region. The need of the hour therefore is to develop effective infrastructure and air connectivity throughout the country," Capt Gopinath said after receiving the award.

"The award is an encouragement for Air Deccan''s pioneering efforts in making air travel more affordable and accessible than ever before," he added.

The Air Passenger Association of India is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the welfare of air passengers. APAI was established in 1990 and has its headquarters at Chennai. APAI is largely responsible for creating awareness about the rights of air passengers and over the years, the association has played an important role in the development of the Indian aviation industry.

India''s fastest growing low-cost airline and the 2nd largest airline in the country, with a market share of 21.6 per cent (February 2007), Air Deccan has the largest network in India today covering 64 airports, plying over 350 flights a day. The airline currently operates a brand new fleet of 19 Airbus A-320 aircraft, with an average age of 1.5 years and 24 ATR Turboprop aircraft. Since its inception in August 2003, Air Deccan has carried over 9 million passengers and the numbers are growing everyday. The airline has recorded an on time performance of (within 1 hour) of 98.65 per cent for March 2007.