The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : For a change, Air France flies kites on the sands of Marina

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 21, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

For a change, Air France flies kites on the sands of Marina

T.S. Shankar

The medium-sized white kites carrying the AF emblem dotted azure blue skies

FLYING THEM HIGH: Children taking part in a kite flying show organised by New Marketing Blitz of Air France on the Marina beach on Saturday. — Photo: Shaju John

CHENNAI: In the competitive aviation environment, Air France (AF) caught the attention of the Chennaiites, especially the breeze buffs, on the sands of the Marina, organising a kite flying show on Saturday.

The medium-sized white kites carrying the AF emblem with colour tails tagged on, dotted the azure blue skies as they soared high to the wafting sea-breeze which had set in after 4 p.m.

Assembled in front of the Queen Mary's College were the frontline staff, led by V.S. Subramanian, regional manager of France Air, general sales agent of Air France and members of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI).

As the kites soared high so also the foreign airlines spirits.

Cynosure of all eyes

Dressed in their weekend bests, children and the flamboyant airline staff became the cynosure of beach-goers as they were having fun and frolic with kites.

"It is an evening with difference and we love kites", said a child, who was busy playing around.

Innovative

"We wanted to do something different and innovative and enthral the Chennaiites. And we came out with this idea of an enjoyable two-hour kite flying evening on the sands of the Marina beach", Mr. Subramanian noted.

Though Air France does not fly to Chennai, the airline has a code-share arrangement with the U.S. carrier, Delta Airlines, which began daily flights to New York via Paris from May 11.

AF however operates daily services to Mumbai and New Delhi and effective October 31, it will introduce five flights a week to Bangalore.

And as a finale, the two-hour kite flying evening ended with distribution of Thenga Manga Pattani sundal along with soft drinks.

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