The Hindu : Front Page : Pondicherry back on the air map after 15 years

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 15, 2006

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Pondicherry back on the air map after 15 years

Rajesh Nair

Jagson Airlines to begin regular flights to Chennai next week

PHOTO:T. SINGARAVELOU

SPECIAL GUESTS: Four students board the Dornier aircraft in Pondicherry.

PONDICHERRY: After a gap of 15 years, Pondicherry is once again on the country's air map. An 18-seater Dornier of private air service provider Jagson Airlines Ltd took off for Tirupati from here on Wednesday morning to mark the restoration of air links to the Union Territory.

Ever since Vayudoot stopped operations from Pondicherry in 1991, the airport has been handling only trainer aircraft from the Orient Flight School and the NCC and the occasional chartered flight. The Jagson Dornier aircraft took off with four special guests and a few officers from the territorial administration after the Lt Governor M.M. Lakhera inaugurated the operations.

The four special guests, Ratnapradeep R, Gayathri Jaubin, both Government School toppers in higher secondary examinations and Vasathaniraja and Sumithra toppers in the SSLC examinations, were all first time air travellers.

"We have launched our operation today, as it is an auspicious day," said Vinod Kumar, Head-Business Development, Jagson Airlines. The airline will commence regular passenger operations to Chennai, Bangalore and Tirupati from next week, most likely from Monday. The flights will be operated on all three sectors daily except on Sundays.

There will be a 25 per cent discount during the initial period. The Government has begun the process of extending the runway from its present length.

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