The Hindu Business Line : Air Deccan to offer in-flight TV

THE domestic air travellers will soon not only be able to travel between metro cities at cheaper rates but also catch all the latest news on television while in the air.

The country's only low-cost airline, Air Deccan plans to have plasma drop down televisions on board the Airbus A-320 aircraft which it is acquiring for starting operations on the trunk routes.

"In the Airbus aircraft not only will passengers have leather seats but also have in-flight entertainment which will be a potpourri of various shows including news. We have already outsourced the job of coming up with an entertainment programme and the agency is tying up with various other agencies," the airlines Managing Director, Captain G.R. Gopinath, said. He added that the news programme would be put together before the flight takes off.

However, a passenger will have to pay a small fee, which will be between Rs 50-100, to purchase headphones to catch the voices on the television. In addition the airline also plans to have in-flight sales during which passengers will be able to purchase various items including sunglasses and perfumes among others.

The airline plans to have various segments of fares available for the long distance domestic flights with initial fares starting as low as Rs 500 for passengers making their bookings well in advance of the flight and going up to Rs 8,000 for passengers purchasing their tickets just before take-offs.

The airline has already announced that the inaugural flight would be between Bangalore and Delhi sometime later this month. The airline is to acquire two Airbus 180-seater Airbus A-320 aircraft for starting its operations to the metro cities.

Air Deccan plans to launch flights between the five metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, at fares that will be 40-50 per cent lower.