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Paramount Airways, a Chennai-based all-Business class airline, has outlined some ambitious expansion plans for 2009, after last year recording just a 1.1% increase in passenger numbers to 630,000, according to Ministry of Civil Aviation data.
The carrier, which has a strong network in Southern India, reiterated plans to continue its expansion in Western India until mid-2009 and then “foray into the northern market”. Paramount currently operates 1,600 services per month, which will rise to 2,200 in the next six months.
The airline, which held a 1.5% market share in 2008, has been buoyed by its increasing share late in 2008, as rival airlines trimmed their capacity due to mounting losses.
Paramount has 20 Embraer regional jets scheduled for delivery over the next two years. The carrier plans to hire 500 pilots and 600 cabin crew in the next two years as it targets a nationwide presence and a five-fold increase in fleet size by 2011. The carrier also holds international ambitions, confirming in mid-Jan-09 that it is in "advanced talks" with Airbus and Boeing to order 7-10 A350s or B787s to launch international services in 2012/13.
Paramount currently operates from Chennai to 11 cities, including Coimbatore, Madurai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa and Pune.
(C) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Date posted: 20-Nov-08 These are extracts from the latest edition of The Monthly Essential India
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Paramount on the expansion trail in 2009 
