<p>The country's fourth budget carrier AirAsia India, the domestic arm of Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia Berhad, finally commenced operations today with its first flight taking off from Bangalore's Kempegowda International Airport for Goa.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The flight, which took of at 3.44 PM, is being operated by a former IndiGo pilot Capt Manish Uppal with Diganta, a former pilot of the now-grounded Kingfisher Airlines, as the first officer.<br /><br />Earlier, AirAsia group chief executive Tony Fernandes tweeted "Tony Fernandes @tonyfernandes... Getting ready for the first flight. All passengers on board. Full flight. INDIA here we come."<br /><br />"Tony Fernandes @tonyfernandes... How ironic Captain Manish formerly of Indigo commanding our first flight for AirAsia India to @MittuChandilya," he further tweeted.<br /><br />The new entrant had late last month announced the opening of bookings for the inaugural flight and offered fares as low as Rs 990 for the Bangalore-Goa flight.<br /><br />AirAsia India has launched its services more than 15 months after it announced a 49:30:21 partnership with salt-to-software conglomerate Tata group and Arun Bhatia's Telestra TradePlace to set up a budget carrier in the country, in February 2013.<br /><br />Soon after it received flying licence from aviation regulator DGCA last month, the airline had said it will launch the services in 1-3 months.<br /><br />AirAsia India, whose top officials have promised to offer low and competitive airfares, will focus on connecting tier-II cities to begin with, according to airline sources.<br /><br />"Our airlines' fares will be about 35 per cent lower than the current market rates," AirAsia India Chief Executive Mittu Chandilya had earlier said. </p>
<p>The country's fourth budget carrier AirAsia India, the domestic arm of Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia Berhad, finally commenced operations today with its first flight taking off from Bangalore's Kempegowda International Airport for Goa.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The flight, which took of at 3.44 PM, is being operated by a former IndiGo pilot Capt Manish Uppal with Diganta, a former pilot of the now-grounded Kingfisher Airlines, as the first officer.<br /><br />Earlier, AirAsia group chief executive Tony Fernandes tweeted "Tony Fernandes @tonyfernandes... Getting ready for the first flight. All passengers on board. Full flight. INDIA here we come."<br /><br />"Tony Fernandes @tonyfernandes... How ironic Captain Manish formerly of Indigo commanding our first flight for AirAsia India to @MittuChandilya," he further tweeted.<br /><br />The new entrant had late last month announced the opening of bookings for the inaugural flight and offered fares as low as Rs 990 for the Bangalore-Goa flight.<br /><br />AirAsia India has launched its services more than 15 months after it announced a 49:30:21 partnership with salt-to-software conglomerate Tata group and Arun Bhatia's Telestra TradePlace to set up a budget carrier in the country, in February 2013.<br /><br />Soon after it received flying licence from aviation regulator DGCA last month, the airline had said it will launch the services in 1-3 months.<br /><br />AirAsia India, whose top officials have promised to offer low and competitive airfares, will focus on connecting tier-II cities to begin with, according to airline sources.<br /><br />"Our airlines' fares will be about 35 per cent lower than the current market rates," AirAsia India Chief Executive Mittu Chandilya had earlier said. </p>