LONDON (August 22, 2008) – Kingfisher Airlines, one of only six five-star airlines in the world, today announced that it will launch international service from India with the debut of daily nonstop flights between Bangalore and London-Heathrow on September 3, 2008.
Kingfisher will be the first airline to operate between the UK and India with industry-leading inflight entertainment including live TV channels such as BBC World, CNN International, Bloomberg and Eurosport/ESPN via satellite at every seat, as well as some 357 hours of programming on 36 channels.
Along with impeccable cuisine by London’s famed Chutney Mary’s restaurant, Kingfisher offers guests innovative product offerings including mood lighting, webchat and email, USB connectors and in-seat plug/chargers throughout the aircraft. In Kingfisher First, pampered guests also enjoy in-seat massagers, a bar and bartender, a jacket pressing service, and even spectacles cleaning.
The flight from Bangalore will depart at 8:40 am and arrive at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 at 2:50 pm, local time. The return flight will depart Heathrow at 10:05 pm and arrive in Bangalore the next day at 12:35 pm, local time. The flights will be operated using a brand new Airbus A330-200, widely billed as the best A330 ever built for any airline.
Dr. Vijay Mallya, chairman and CEO, Kingfisher Airlines Limited said, “I am delighted to announce the launch of Kingfisher’s maiden international service between Bangalore and London’s Heathrow airport. We will set new standards in international travel with the unique Kingfisher experience that has earned us a five-star rating from Skytrax. Our customers are our guests, not passengers, and this is reflected in the unique levels of comfort and entertainment, including live television, and fine dining options on board, together with the warmest Indian hospitality offered by a hand-picked and extensively-trained crew. At a time when many airlines are rolling back on their network, I feel that the carefully selected routes that Kingfisher will serve have great growth potential. International traffic demand in and out of India remains robust, and the unique ties between Britan and India generate attractive additional opportunities. I believe that the Bangalore-London route is under-served, and the launch of Kingfisher’s daily nonstop service will exploit the latent potential that exists.”
Kingfisher commenced operations domestically in India in 2005 and has since become the largest privately-owned airline in the country following its merger with Air Deccan. The launch of the carrier’s London service marks a new milestone for the company with service to additional international destinations to be announced in the near future.
Kingfisher Airlines will operate an Airbus A330-200 on the new route with two classes of service: with 30 seats in Kingfisher First and 187 seats in Kingfisher Class. Both cabins feature new and innovative product features and world-class service making the Kingfisher Experience a more natural and pleasurable travel experience.
