UB Group has set up a new company in the United States to ensure full-fledged international operations. The company, christened Kingfisher International Inc, has been registered at Delaware.
Vijay Mallya, chairman of the group, said the company was formed in the US as an alternative. This means if the Indian government didn't allow Kingfisher Airlines to fly to the US, the liquor baron could apply for a reverse flying permit- from the US to India.
"The order of white-bodied aircraft like the A-330, A-380 and A-350 shows our commitment to flying internationally although we are still a couple of years away," Mallya.
The UB group chief also announced that Kingfisher Airlines' CEO Alex Wilcox would continue to serve the company as president and member of the board of directors and executive committee.
Wilcox will also be responsible for mapping out the strategies for international operations and will be based in the US. This announcement has put the speculation over Wilxcox's departure from the company to rest.
Meanwhile, Nigel Harwood has been inducted into the company as the chief operating officer. Harwood, a former vice-president-sales with Airbus, has worked with Indian Airlines in the 1990s. He will be responsible for all ground, technical and flight operations on the Kingfisher network.
The airline, which has completed over two months of operations, will expand its domestic network this year. Next month, it will launch its Mumbai-Goa as well as Mumbai-Delhi flights.
The carrier has also ensured that it has secured the necessary overnight parking slots from Hindustan Aeronautics and the Airport Authority of India. Kingfisher Airline will tap the capital markets by the at the end of this financial year or in the first quarter of next year.
Confidence booster