A startup airline from the UK Flypop is eyeing Indian destinations upon its planned launch in 2021.
The new long-haul low-cost airline in the UK plans to launch operations in 2021.The first scheduled flights will be to India, as the startup targets the UK’s Indian/South Asian diaspora as their customer base. The Indian community in the UK is estimated to be around 1.5 million people.
Details about the future destinations in the UK or India are not available yet, as discussions with low cost airports have not been started yet, according to the company’s statement on November 2, 2020. The airline’s future fleet also remains unknown at the moment. While it claims having already started discussions with aircraft manufacturers, no commitments have been secured.
In 2018, the air carrier planned to operate between its hub in London Stansted to Amritsar (Punjab) and Ahmedabad (Gujarat) in India three times per week, utilizing an Airbus A330-300 aircraft. However, it appears that the plans have changed since.
For now, the airline is still gathering funds and claims to be in the “final round” of the process. On November 3, 2020, it announced having secured a “significant investment” from the UK Government’s Future Fund, without revealing any specific amount.