Dubai, Mar 15 (Emirates 24 x 7): Despite a statement issued by the cash-strapped Indian carrier yesterday that attempted at reassuring fliers, Kingfisher Airlines has suspended its bookings from Dubai.
A call to the local contact centre had one agent inform Emirates 24|7 News paper : “We are not accepting any bookings post March 24. This is due to the current situation in our head office.
“We want to assure clients that this is a temporary measure and a call should be taken by tomorrow.”
Log on to the carrier’s website and all flights originating from Dubai post March 24 are appearing as ‘sold out’.
When quizzed about bookings already held by UAE passengers for later dates and peak summer travel, another call centre representative said: “A suspension does not mean that flights will be cancelled on Kingfisher. We are waiting for a word, following which a decision will be taken.
“But if flights do end up cancelled, passengers would be entitled to a full refund or an alternative travel plan.”
With a crew shortage, Kingfisher Airlines admitted it has reduced its operations of 145 flights of earlier this week to 101 flights on March 13th and 14th.
Insiders are saying this could be a direct result of a statement issued by Kingfisher’s Vice President of Corporate Communications, Prakash Mirpuri, who said yesterday: “We would like to confirm that we are curtailing our wide body overseas operations that are bleeding heavily.
“To this end we have already returned one Airbus A 330-200 to the lessor in the UK. Positive and immediate action is being taken on all fronts to cut costs.”
While the spokesperson did not divulge in which destinations would grind to a halt, usually wide-bodied jets such as the A 330-200 are used to connect to London from India.
Additionally, it has also been used to connect destinations such as Dubai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore.
Meanwhile, several Dubai-based passengers are already expecting the worst and are looking at alternate carriers to facilitate their India travel plans for Easter break and summer season.
Said Kanta Chachara, a Dubai resident: “I am travelling to India on April 6 and with Kingfisher’s spate of problems, have resorted to book myself on budget carrier Indigo. Why take the chance?”
Chachara is not alone in her thinking with another resident, Thomas George, who was planning his summer travel to Bangalore following a similar route, saying: “With so many options available to us these days, why run the risk of booking on a carrier that may or may not operate tomorrow? I am looking at Emirates, with the reassurance that my family and I will reach our destination in peace.”