Indian travel giant looks to launch own Kerala-based carrier

Indian travel and tourism specialist Alhind Group has applied for an air operator’s permit (AOP) from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), PV Valsaraj, the group’s managing director, told CNBC-TV18.

“About 95% of our approvals are done,” he said, including security clearance, and the company is now awaiting final approvals including “a No Objection Certificate from the Civil Aviation Ministry.” He named the Middle East and Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, as likely destinations.

“Our main aim is to start international flying. Over 60% of our ticketing business is for the Gulf and Far East,” Valsaraj explained. “We are able to fill about 80% of planes. We have a deep-rooted sales network. New airlines have the challenge of building a network. The advantage for us is that we have already built the network for the past 30 years, so we know how the market is, the exact routes to be operated, and how profit is generated.”

Neither the company nor the DGCA was immediately available to comment.

Alhind Group’s website advertises “millions of cheap flights”. It says the group was incorporated in 1992 in Kerala, and it also operates as Alhind & Middle East Travels in the Gulf. Services include separate B2B portals for online flight and accommodation bookings and financial services. The group also has divisions providing package tours, Hajj and Umrah tours to Saudi Arabia, car and coach hire, a construction firm, a recruitment agency, IT software solutions, an IATA-authorised training centre with aviation, cargo, and GDS courses, a bus company, a hotel, and visa services. The group claims to have achieved a turnover of INR200 billion rupees (USD2.38 billion) in 2023.

Kerala will see the launch in 2025 of Air Kerala (Kochi International), with three ATR72-600s, having recently received an NOC from the Civil Aviation Ministry to operate regional commuter services.