GoAir to Launch International Flights From October 11

GoAir will start its international operations from October 11, according to a PTI report citing a statement from the budget carrier's chief executive officer Cornelis Vrieswijik today. The inaugural flights will operate to Phuket, Thailand from New Delhi and Mumbai.

On October 14, the airlines will launch flights to Male, the Maldives from Mumbai and Delhi. The report also said that the bookings for these international flights would commence soon. The Mumbai-based airline will be the sixth domestic carrier to have international operations. Currently, national carriers like Air India, Jet Airways, IndiGo, and SpiceJet operate flights to international routes from India.

GoAir became eligible to fly overseas two years ago after it took delivery of its 20th aircraft, also its first Airbus A320 Neo. GoAir launched its domestic operations in November 2005 and was granted rights to operate flights to nine countries, including China, Vietnam, Maldives, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, among others in August 2016.

The airline had planned to launch services on the international routes in last October but had to defer the plan due to the grounding of some of the Pratt & Whitney engine-powered Airbus A320 Neo planes owing to engine glitches. Presently it operates over 1,544 weekly flights across 23 destinations in India with a fleet of 38 Airbus A320 planes, including 19 A320 Neos.