THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nas Air, a subsidiary of Riyadh-based Saudi National Air Services, is making its India foray on April 1 with direct flights from the Saudi capital to two airports in the southern state of Kerala.
Maria Aangelika Hanne, the chief commercial officer of Nas who was here to sign a general sales agreement with the local operator, said there would be seven weekly services to Cochin and Calicut international airports.
The city-based Great India Aviation Services (GIAS) is the general sales agent of the Kingdom’s first low-cost carrier that commenced operations nearly three years ago. The airline offers quality services to hundreds of thousands of expatriate workers from the state.
“In view of the heavy demand from travelers to Saudi Arabia, we’ll be operating brand new A-320 aircraft with a seating capacity of 180,” she said. The timings of the flights and fares will be announced subject to local approvals later.
The airline has also plans to operate services to the state capital, besides the commercial hub of Mumbai and Delhi. Its operations will be extended to Pakistan as well. The airline comes to India with the experience of successfully operating 72 Haj flights from Mumbai and 34 from Calicut during the just-concluded pilgrimage season.
The airline will focus on pilgrims and migrants from Kerala and tourists from GCC countries seeking low-cost treatments in India, she said.
GIAS chairman EM Najeeb urged the airline management to design a special Umrah package as large number of Muslims from the state is going to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah for Umrah throughout the year.
“The entry of Nas into the Kerala-Riyadh sector will be of immense help to the expatriates, who have been flying in and out of Saudi destinations by paying higher fares in the absence of low-cost flights,” he said.
According to the Centre for Development Studies estimates, Saudi Arabia hosts nearly one-fourths of the two million Keralites working abroad. Currently, Air India is the market leader on the sector.
NAS has a fleet of 12 new generation Airbus 320s, Boeing 767-300 ER and Embraer 190 aircraft with an average age of one year.
