India gets its first subscription based airline Prince Air
Dhaka: Even amid the disastrous impact of coronavirus, India’s aviation industry is witnessing the emergence of new players, thanks to the innovative ideas of the country’s startups. For instance, this month the industry saw the arrival of the first subscription based airline in India Prince Air.
With a monthly membership, travellers can fly between major cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, at a fraction of the usual business class fares.
Similar to many subscription-based airlines worldwide, Prince Air is bringing private jet flying to the masses. The airline is eyeing to target passengers who usually travel business class or frequently between major Indian cities with a competitively priced monthly payment.
However, the one-of-a-kind airline is still in the pre-launch phase. Nevertheless, Prince Air is already drawing up plans for its operations. The airline will formally launch in a few months, with no firm date currently set.
Prince Air will start operations with the larger Airbus A320 or A321 family, which offers a substantial number of seats. But, the planes themselves will come in an all-business-class layout, featuring only 90-100 seats.
Yet, the biggest benefit of Prince Air would be the flexibility it offers to the passengers. Travellers can switch flights, arrive at the airport only 30 minutes before their flight, and choose from a wide variety of departures. Overall, the airline hopes to shave off three hours from a usual Dehi-Mumbai roundtrip (including airport time spent).
The carrier plans on offering a monthly subscription for Rs 54,500, or USD 747, providing passengers with unlimited flights across its network in India.
Usually, a roundtrip from Delhi to Bangalore or Mumbai in business class will cost passengers Rs 36,000 to Rs 38,000 (USD 493 to USD 521) each. Meaning, a Prince Air subscription would be more budget-friendly to any business traveller flying more than twice a month.
