The AlHind group, which has had a long-standing presence in the UAE, is now bankrolling a new domestic airline in India. The carrier has been granted initial clearance to begin operations.
The group, a travel, tourism, and mobility conglomerate founded in the early 1990s, will begin operating AlHind Air domestically in India, and hopes to launch its international operations after meeting the requirements.
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Last year, the group’s chairman, Mohammad Haris, confirmed in an interview with Khaleej Times that the airline will start with three flights. It will begin international operations as soon as it has 20 flights. Their first international destination is scheduled to be the UAE.
On Wednesday, AlHind Air became one of the two airlines granted a “no-objection certificate” by the Indian civil aviation ministry. The move came just weeks after an Indigo airline crisis which caused cancellations of 4,500 flights and left tens of thousands of people stranded both in India and abroad.
Some UAE passengers faced delays of up to 10 hours during the crisis. An Indian minister said that the government is working to encourage more competition in the domestic airline market.
Here is everything you need to know about AlHind Group:
Humble beginnings
Founded in the southern Indian state of Kerala in 1992 as AlHind Tours and Travels, the company dealt with travel management, cargo services and hospitality assistance.
It began its operations in the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries in 1995. Founded by director Mohammed Haris and helmed by MD P. V. Valsaraj the company quickly grew into a large global network with over 130 branches worldwide, serving millions of travellers. Today the group has interests in several industries including hospitality, charter services, money exchange and IT and travel solutions.
Operations in the UAE
Apart from tailoring travel services to residents and expats, AlHind also acts as a General Sales Agent (GSA) for major Indian airlines.
This means, it acts as an airline’s local commercial representative, handling sales, marketing, and customer-related activities. The company also operates the Alhind Business center, which provides company formation services, and strategic consultations.
How AlHind Air came to be
The company has been laying the groundwork for the airline for several years. The airline will begin operations with a fleet of ATR 72- 600 model aircraft. An official confirmed to Khaleej Times that the group will operate an Airbus A320 for its Middle East routes, which will have a business class.
The spokesperson also said that they will aim to keep our ticket prices as one of the lowest in the market to serve the expats in the UAE and to do so, the company will only hire minimal number of staff.
A website of the airline states that the flights will begin operating flights to the Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Goa.
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