AirAsia India to begin operations in October: Tony Fernandes

AirAsia group chief executive Tony Fernandes has said the budget airline's new joint venture in India will begin domestic flights in October to Chennai, Bangalore and Cochin.

He says the Chennai-based AirAsia India will start out with three Airbus jets and plans to add 10 additional planes each year.

Mr. Fernandes was in New Delhi on Wednesday to tout the new low-cost carrier, a joint venture with Indian conglomerate Tata group and investment company Telestra Tradeplace.

Malaysia-based AirAsia holds a 49 per cent stake, making the carrier the first airline set up with foreign money since the Indian government relaxed investment restrictions in aviation.

Southeast Asia's top budget carrier, AirAsia hopes to cash in on the expected rapid expansion of the undeveloped domestic market for India's 1.2 billion people.