aviation Airborne Every other month, a new low-cost or "value" carrier is taking to the air. A look at the players, the models - and the sustainability of the business.
Anjuli Bhargava [Businessworldindia.com] <The biggest factor that helps low-cost carriers in the West is that they operate from secondary airports, often located on the outskirts of the cities. This allows them to pay lower landing, navigation and all other charges. The low-cost carriers in UK, for instance, will use Gatwick or Stansted and not Heathrow. Even tiny cities like Venice have at least two airports with different charges for the airlines to choose from. India doesn't have secondary airports and neither does it offer low-cost terminals. **Industry sources say that in cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad, instead of closing the old airport, the government should consider converting the old facility into a low-cost one. Even in Cochin when the new private airport came up, the old airport was closed down.**> ----- That's why Dabolim should remain open for civilian flights even when Mopa materialises [and Lohegaon, Pune should stay open when Chakan is ready ...]. Comprende?