A long-standing appeal of the four-and-a-half lakh Keralites in the city seems to have been heard. Paramount Airways will soon launch trips between Pune and Thiruvananthapuram, connecting southern Kerala to Pune, via Chennai.

Pune will be the third centre in the western region for the airline, having recently started flights to Ahmedabad and Goa. According to Pune airport director Chandra Mauli, “The airport authorities had a meeting with Paramount officials on Friday, during which the airline proposed to set up flights to Pune. They plan to begin this month”.

C R Kanan, vice president, Paramount Airways (Chennai operations), declined to comment. “We will formally announce our expansion plans at a news conference soon,” he said. Interestingly, while other airlines are busy reducing costs and sectors, the contrast in the Indian aviation sector is striking.

“Although the information is not official, new flights to Pune have been planned. We intend to start by December 12, when direct trips from Chennai will be available along with via-flights from southern hubs like Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Madurai and Coimbatore. The base cost is likely to be Rs 999,” said an airlines source.

“We have been campaigning for the last five years for air connectivity between Pune and Kerala. This step will help the four-and-a-half lakh Keralite residents of the city and the 2000-odd Keralite industrialists in Pune who need to frequently fly to and fro, apart from tourists and other travellers,” said P C Nambiar, chairman, advisory council, Pune Malayalee Federation (PMF).

“We have been holding discussions with Paramount officials for the last two years and met them early this year. A month back, they assured us that flights will take off from Pune to Thiruvanthapuram. We have put forth a petition for a Pune-Mangalore-Kochi flight, which will be able to connect the entire southern belt,” said PMF member Hari Narayan.

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