Indian-Based Airlines Offer Rock-Bottom Fares for East Asian Tourist Destinations

NEW DELHI (AP) -- Indian carriers are offering low fares for travelers flying to popular destinations like Singapore and Dubai in a bid to win competition from budget airlines in East Asia, news reports said Saturday.

Air Sahara, a private airline that was allowed last month to fly on international routes, is offering a round trip from New Delhi to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for 10,000 rupees (US$220), the Business Standard newspaper reported.

The current fare offered by other airlines on the same route is about 16,000 rupees (US$350). Sahara plans to launch its flights to Southeast Asian cities in May.

Separately, state-owned Air India said its low-cost carrier will start operations on April 29, with an inaugural offering of 2,750 rupees (US$60) per ticket to people traveling from New Delhi to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The offer is 50 percent cheaper than existing fares, the report quoted an Air India official as saying.

Air India will gradually withdraw its existing flights to Middle East countries in favor of its low cost carrier. The airline recently placed orders for 18 aircraft from Boeing for its low-cost operations.