Starting with cargo and then moving to passengers. That’s the strategy of new airline Flypop, which aims to provide low-cost flights between Britain and India.
The British start-up has partnered with Portuguese wet-lease specialist Hi Fly for its first aircraft, an Airbus A330-300, which will fly cargo routes.
“We hope our cargo routes will assist with the global demand for cargo and help to alleviate cargo shortages for the Christmas holidays and beyond,” flypop chief executive Navdip Singh Judge commented. Judge said flypop is planning to have four aircraft.
Flypop has previously outlined plans to start operations in 2021 but said in a statement on November 18, 2021, that it will only commence passenger services between London Stansted and India once the COVID-19 situation is clearer.
“flypop believes the most effective way to start flying operations is with cargo until the frequency cap on UK-India flights is increased,” the new airline explained.
The airline is currently considering several destinations for passenger services, including Amritsar, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Chandigarh.
“We are looking forward to working with the flypop team in the short-term doing cargo and in the long-term flying Indian and South Asian diaspora passengers into the Second Cities of India,” Hi Fly President, Paulo Mirpuri, said.