Alliance Air (India) (9I, Delhi International) launched a 3x weekly service connecting Pathankot with Delhi International on April 5, marking the launch of scheduled operations at the former airport in northern India, ANI newswire has reported.
The flights are marketed under the Air India Regional brand and operated under the flag carrier's code. Air India is Alliance Air's parent company.
The maiden service to Pathankot is a result of India's regional connectivity scheme (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik - UDAN), a subsidy programme aimed at boosting air connectivity to under- and unserved airports around the country. Alliance Air was awarded a total of fifteen routes under the scheme in the first round of bidding in March 2017 (which included the Pathankot service), followed by a further nine routes in the second round awarded in January 2018.
Under the terms of the UDAN scheme, half of all tickets on each of the routes are capped at an INR2,500 rupees (USD39) per hour of flights. The carriers are also eligible for a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) from the central government in order to guarantee a routes' economical viability.
Alliance Air currently operates a fleet of sixteen ATR - Avions de Transport Régional turboprops, including four ATR42-300s and twelve ATR72-600s. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the carrier also expects the imminent delivery of a further four aircraft of the latter type.
