GoAir commenced flight operations from Bengaluru to Phuket, Thailand and Male (Maldives) on Sunday, news agency IANS reported, citing a company statement. This marked the third addition to the airline's international network, after introduction of international flights from Mumbai and Delhi earlier this year. The addition of Bengaluru-Phuket and Bengaluru-Male flights to GoAir's operations comes nearly two months after the airline began flying international. The carrier had last month announced a twice-a-week service between Bengaluru and Male, and a thrice-a-week operation between Bengaluru and Phuket.
GoAir Bengaluru-Male, Bengaluru-Phuket flight schedule
Here's a flight schedule of the new international flights connecting Bengaluru shared by GoAir last month:
| From | To | Departure | Arrival | Frequency | Effective period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | Phuket | 4:30 | 9:30 | Mon, Thu, Sun | 9th Dec'18 Onward |
| Phuket | Bengaluru | 11:15 | 13:25 | Mon, Thu, Sun | 9th Dec'18 Onward |
| Bengaluru | Male | 14:30 | 16:00 | Wed, Sun | 9th Dec'18 Onward |
| Male | Bengaluru | 17:00 | 19:40 | Wed, Sun | 9th Dec'18 Onward |
Our inaugural flight from Phuket makes its way through a traditional water cannon salute at @bengaluruairprt. #FlySmartNonStop pic.twitter.com/CQE7tuT9OS
GoAir has said it will operate flights between Bengaluru and Phuket on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays, and between Bengaluru and Male on Wednesdays and Sundays. In October, the airline kicked off overseas operations with flights to Phuket from Delhi and Mumbai.
On Sunday, GoAir also commenced flights from Kannur, Kerala, marking the city as the 24th destination on its domestic network. The airline shared images of a traditional water cannon salute being given to its aircraft in Kannur on microblogging website Twitter.
GoAir currently has 24 domestic and two international destinations on its network.
The expansion of operations by GoAir comes amid high competition in the country's civil aviation market, backed by robust growth in passenger traffic.
The number of air passengers served by domestic carriers increased by more than 20 per cent in the first ten months of the current calendar year. Domestic airlines carried 1,146.37 lakh passengers in January-October, as against 954.45 lakh in the corresponding period a year ago, according to data from aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
(With agency inputs)
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