`Common Man' to endorse Air Deccan

India’s low cost airline Air Deccan said on Wednesday that it will sell some of its tickets at Re 1 and named renowned cartoonist R.K. Laxman's `Mr Citizen' as the brand ambassador of the airline.

"The vision of Mr Laxman and that of the airline matched and that's why he agreed to let us use his creation to promote our airline," the Managing Director, Air Deccan, Capt Gorur Ramaswamy Gopinath, told a news conference. According to an official in the airline, Mr Laxman has lent his most famous creation, Mr Citizen who features in each of his cartoons, free-of-cost to the airline.

"My `common man' is the voice of every Indian and I feel every Indian must fly regardless of their economic situation. I feel Capt Gopi's vision for his airline, of empowerment of every Indian perfectly fits with the persona of the common man," Mr Laxman's statement was read out by Capt Gopinath in his absence. Mr Laxman could not attend the press conference because of ill health.

Capt Gopinath said the decision to offer tickets at Re 1 was based on Mr Laxman's view that common men in the country cannot even afford ticket worth Rs 500 and hence wanted the airline to sell tickets at Re 1.

"Therefore, we have decided to offer three-four seats at Re 1 though we have to work out how we can offer the tickets and to whom," Capt Gopinath said. Air Deccan was the first airline in the country to offer tickets for as low as Rs 500. Capt Gopinath said the process of offering tickets at Re 1 will be carried out through a transparent manner so that no one individual can block these tickets. Though the ticket will cost Re 1, the passengers will have to pay another Rs 221 towards airport charges which is levied by the government on each airline ticket sold.

Capt Gopinath said the airline expects to induct either an ATR or an Airbus every month from this month. The airline has ordered for 32 Airbus A320s and 30 ATRs which will be delivered over a period of five years. Capt Gopinath admitted that the fierce competition among airlines has affected the operations of his airline too. He said several airhostesses of the airline had left for jobs with foreign airlines while 15 co-pilots have joined Indian Airlines. However, out of 50 captains, only one has left the airline during the past few months. The airline currently has 200 pilots, 100 engineers and 150 airhostesses. He said the airline would require 700 more pilots once the fleet acquisition is completed.

Capt Gopinath said the airline will not raise its prices even though input costs have gone up. He said the airline has been able to sell nearly 20,000 seats for Rs 500 each. The airline sells nearly 8,000 seats every day. He said the airline has asked the government to reduce the airport levy of Rs 221 to Rs 50 for short flights connecting towns.