SINGAPORE, MAY 12 (AFP)
Air Sahara's maiden flight outside of South Asia
touched down in Singapore today, becoming the second
private Indian carrier to spread its wings outside
the subcontinent.
The flight from New Delhi marked the start of 14
weekly Air Sahara services between the Indian capital
and Singapore, aviation officials said at Changi Airport
during a welcoming ceremony for the airline.
Air Sahara follows rival private Indian carrier Jet
Airways in beginning operations following the lifting
of Indian government restrictions that had protected
the country's state-owned airlines.
Air Sahara had previously been flying to destinations
only in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Jet Airways also chose Singapore as its first internatioal
destination outside and it began operating 14 weekly
flights between Mumbai and the Southeast Asian island-nation
last month.
Six airlines now offer more than 220 weekly flights
between Singapore and 11 Indian cities, the Civil
Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said.
CAAS director general Wong Woon Liong said air traffic
between Singapore and India had grown 21 percent since
2002.
