Kingfisher Airlines to fly from May 9

Private carrier Kingfisher Airlines on Wednesday got the crucial operational permit from the civil aviation ministry, recognising it as a scheduled carrier and enabling it to launch flights from Monday next.

"This is the final approval we wanted. Our summer schedule has also been approved. The first flight of Kingfisher will start at 0605 hours from Mumbai for Delhi," Kingfisher Airlines owner Vijay Mallya told PTI on phone.

Besides the Delhi-Mumbai operations, the airline plans to launch three flights a week between Mumbai and Bangalore and three more between Delhi and Bangalore.

The airline took delivery of the first of its four A-320 aircraft late last month from Airbus Industrie on lease.

It has also placed firm orders for ten airbus A-320s, plus 20 more with purchase option. It has also ordered three A319s -- for which deliveries begin in September and December respectively. The entire project is estimated at $1.8 billion.

With the planned deliveries, the new private carrier plans to have a fleet of 12 aircraft by January next year.

Mallya, who owns the UB Group known for its liquor business, has claimed the Kingfisher Airlines would have a brand based on quality and reliability, besides "unparalleled in-flight experience".