India's second budget airline takes off today as the battle begins for the potentially enormous no-frills sector.
Kingfisher Airlines, named after a beer and with models as flight attendants, is the first to challenge low-cost pioneer Air Deccan but five more budget carriers will be introduced over the next year.
The new airline has a marketing strategy aimed at attracting a new generation of "high-fliers" by pampering them with top-quality entertainment at budget prices.
"We have extremely attractive and well-trained flight attendants. We have a brand new fleet of aircraft. We have individual entertainment systems where every single seat has video screen," said Kingfisher beer baron Vijay Mallya, the owner of the new airline.
"I believe this is a unique value proposition to the customers. And therefore, I am very sure of its success," he said.
The first flight today will be from India's entertainment and financial capital Bombay to IT hub Bangalore.
"If you look at the emerging India, by 2010 there will be a new generation of consumers of about 150 million," said Mallya.
"Who are these people? These are youngsters who are earning money out of information technology, biotechnology, entrepreneurs ... people who have a much greater propensity to spend than when I was young."
With Air Deccan and Kingfisher due to be joined by Spice Air, Go Air, Indigo, Indus one and Air One in coming months, India's skies could soon be getting crowded.
Mallya, however, said there was "room for everybody."
He could be right. Aviation Minister Praful Patel has forecast 20 percent annual growth in domestic and international air traffic, with passenger numbers due to hit 50 million in five years.
Indian passenger fleets are forecast to almost treble from 150 to 400 in the same period.
"I will have 11 aircraft in the air by this year itself. We will have another six next year. By 2010, we should have 55 planes flying," Mallya said.
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