Air Costa to launch ops from Vijayawada

The first ever regional domestic airline based out of Andhra Pradesh will start its operations from next month. Based in Vijayawada, Air Costa will be focusing on operations in South India.

The LEPL (Lingamaneni Estate Pvt Ltd) Group, which has a very strong presence in urban infrastructure, power, hospitality, education and entertainment sectors, is launching the airline with a fleet of 3 E Jets that are most suitable for the regional short-haul connectivity between Tier-II and III cities with the major metros.

These aircrafts have landed in Vijayawada, the maintenance base and headquarters. Air Costa is in the process of getting the final approvals from the DGCA. Air Costa plans to operate flights to six stations in the first phase.

“Air Costa has chosen the state-of-the-art fly-by-wire Embraer jets for their efficiency and reliability. Our plan is to link underserved markets in India with more direct flights,” said Captain Babu, CEO of Air Costa. “The E170 and E190 Jets are ideal both in size and range. We can add frequencies and routes without adding too much capacity, thus serving places with seasonal demand, as well as key secondary and tertiary business centers.”

Air Costa will initially connect cities in Southern India such as Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Vijayawada, as well as key secondary cities in the north and north-western parts of the country.

“Regional air services have a lot of potential in India, especially as the economy of South Indian cities is booming. We are committed to further growth in the Indian market by undertaking additions to our fleet and launching new routes over the medium term” Ramesh Lingamaneni, chairman and managing director of Air Costa, said. “We are very pleased with the support that Embraer has provided us for the launch of Air Costa and look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship.”