KOLKATA: Air india has started an aggressive brand promotion to boost passenger confidence that had dipped to an all-time low following the 10-day strike by its pilots.
While the first flight from Kolkata to delhi via Kanpur was introduced on Tuesday, the other flight is to Lilabari via Guwahati.
Air travellers from Kanpur now have a non-stop service to Kolkata, eliminating the need to travel to Lucknow or any other city for connecting to Kolkata. The flight is operated by Alliance Air, a subsidiary of AI, with a 70-seater CRJ-700 jet aircraft.
Meanwhile, the carrier introduces a five-day per week (Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) flight linking Kolkata with Lilabari via Guwahati with an ATR aircraft from Thursday. The travellers of this region can now conveniently connect to various metros in India.
Though passenger load factor has increased to 80%, it is a holiday season rush rather than an indicator of improved passenger confidence. "It is difficult to expect passengers to be taken for a ride one day and return the next. The strike dented the airline's image," an official said. With concerns over passenger figures again nose-diving after the holidays are over, the airline has decided to connect new destinations and maintain on-time performance as twin incentives to woo back passengers. Over the past few days, the carrier has clocked 100% on-time performance in most sectors in the region.
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