Newstrack

MDLR to position itself as India's first veg airline

Aims to connect two-tier cites to metros

Reema Sisodia - Mumbai

Gurgaon-based MDLR group's soon to be launched passenger airline, MDLR Airlines, will be marketing itself as India's first pure vegetarian airline.

Headed by the group's chairman Gopal Kumar Goyal, the airline promises to provide a wide variety of multi-cuisine vegetarian specialities. According to a company source, the decision to go pure vegetarian was a company decision and was driven by the forerunners of the MDLR Group.

The airline aims to connect two-tier cities in India with the metros and its first roll-out is scheduled to take place in early May 2007. It will start operations from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Ranchi and Kolkata.

During the second phase, it aims to enter cities like Mumbai, Goa, Surat and Bhavnagar. It will start operating with two 70-seater aircraft leased from British Aerospace. The two BAe AVRO RJ jets are said to be based in Chandigarh and would be initially used to operate regular flights in north India.

According to the source, the aircraft are on a lease-purchase agreement. The carrier plans to add a few more aircraft to its fleet shortly. MDLR Airlines will position itself as a full-service carrier with fares starting from Rs 1,000.