Malindo Air to fly out of Trichy by year end

Hybrid airline Malindo Air expects to carry more than three million passengers by the end of next year, contributed mainly by its aggressive network expansion plan.
Malindo Air  said by the end of 2014, the hybrid carrier would be flying to almost all destinations it has in its plan - India, China and the Asean countries.
In an interview with Bernama, he said Malindo Air anticipates a fleet of 20 to 22 aircraft by end-2014, including turboprop aircraft to fly to destinations within Peninsular Malaysia.
By the end of this year, the carrier will be operating a fleet of 10 to 12 aircraft, including four ATR turboprop planes. “We began our operations in late March with Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. With these services, we have carried 125,000 passengers to-date. If within only three months we could achieve such a number, I am sure we will achieve our targets, assisted by all the plans we have in place. Further sales will also pour in, as we keep on introducing new routes and adding frequencies. For now, about 50,000 people visit our website every day and purchase at least one air ticket,” he added.
The airline plans to expand to Sibu, Miri and Tawau this month.
Chandran said the hybrid airline would be strengthening its domestic footprint before flying out of the country, with Singapore, India and China said to be among the first choices this year due to the immense untapped demand.
He said Malindo Air aims to position Malaysia as a perfect transit hub for travellers, as connectivity for travellers in the Asean region was very low. “So far, we have only seen Bangkok and Singapore being regarded as transit hubs for the region. With Malindo Air playing its role, Malaysia would certainly be there too,” he added.
By the end of this year, Malindo Air expects to fly to Cochin, Trichy and New Delhi in India and Chinese routes such as Shenzhen and Shanghai