SpiceJet to add 12 new flights, to launch Hyderabad-Colombo service from 15 April; eyes to expand regional connectivity

Mumbai: Budget carrier SpiceJet on Tuesday announced connecting Hyderabad with Colombo along with the launch of 11 other new direct flights on domestic routes from 31 March on wards. The Hyderabad-Colombo route, the first by any domestic carrier, will commence from 15 April and operate on all days except Tuesdays and Wednesdays, SpiceJet said in a release. “Our new flight to Colombo reinforces our commitment to strengthening the network between India and Sri Lanka. We see tremendous potential in this sector for both leisure and business travelers,” said Shilpa Bhatia, chief sales and revenue officer, SpiceJet. [caption id=“attachment_5059291” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representative image. Reuters[/caption] With the launch of its services between Hyderabad and Colombo, SpiceJet will connect the Sri Lankan capital with three direct flights from India, the release said. It currently connects the city with single daily frequencies from Chennai and Madurai each. Expanding its footprint on the regional connectivity scheme Udan routes, SpiceJet will launch services on six new flights on the Kishangarh-Ahmedabad, Lakhimpur-Guwahati and Jaipur-Amritsar routes, it said. These routes were awarded to the airline under the third round of the Udan scheme. At present, SpiceJet operates 23 flights under Udan scheme. The Gurugram-based airline will also launch four new daily direct flights connecting Chennai with Patna and Surat to penetrate further in the southern market, it said. SpiceJet will deploy its regional jet Bombardier Q-400 to cater to Udan routes while flights on Hyderabad-Colombo and domestic routes will be operated by Boeing 737-800, as per the release. SpiceJet sees huge demand to and from Kishangarh and Lakhimpur and has, therefore, augmented connectivity from these cities, it said adding currently Kishangarh and Lakhimpur are connected with Delhi and Kolkata, respectively.