Star Air to take off on UDAN push

In a bid to tap the opportunities arising out of the government's UDAN regional air connectivity scheme, the Bengaluru-headquartered Star Air is the latest airline set to take off, with its first flight expected in mid-July.

A part of the Sanjay Ghodawat Group, the airline will operate out of the Bengaluru International Airport. Under UDAN, Star Air has bagged three routes, namely Hubballi-Pune, Hubballi-Hindon (Delhi) and Hubballi-Tirupati, while it is yet to disclose the routes from Bengaluru and other cities, the company said in a statement.

Introducing the Embraer ERJ-145 for the first time in India in commercial aviation, Star Air has chalked out a long-term road map. The plane is popular as a private business jet. Starting off with a fleet of two aircraft, the airline is eyeing expansion.

"What we aim for is to create the right balance between a common man's pocket and the expectation he holds from an airline. In due course of time, we aim to provide an all-jet engine fleet connecting new city pairs," said Star Air chief executive officer Simran Singh Tiwana.