Zooom Airlines return to Indian skies with the launch of services to Ayodhya

Bombardier CRJ200ER

Zooom Airlines, earlier called Zoom Air, on January 31, returned to Indian skies with its inaugural passenger flight from Delhi to Ayodhya.

The first flight will deploy Bombardier CRJ 200ER aircraft for services on the Delhi-Ayodhya route, which has already emerged as one of the country's most sought-after spiritual tourism hotspots, the airline said in a release.

The Gurugram-based airline, which shut down operations in July 2018, renewed its air operator certificate by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation ( DGCA) on September 15.

Zoom Air was established as Zexus Air in April 2013 and the airline had taken delivery of its first aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ200.

It had then commenced operations in February 2017. However, the airline was unable to attract substantial air passenger traffic. Its air operator certificate was also suspended in July 2018 for over a year by the DGCA following safety concerns.

The airline could restart its services in October 2019, only to be suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With a new name, the airline aims to create a fresh brand recall for the airline with an improved experience for the flyers, industry experts said.

“We are delighted to announce the relaunch of Zooom, with services connecting Ayodhya and Delhi. Zooom is dedicated to enhancing regional connectivity in India. The new flight services aim to connect people, cultures, and regions to this spiritual hub,” says Zooom’s Chief Executive Officer Atul Gambhir said in a press release.

He added that the airline will also persist in its support role, promoting the Government's Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS-UDAN) by launching additional services focused on the UDAN routes as part of its service revival.

“We are also considering the exploration of new routes and expanding our network to include more tier-2 cities. This will provide passengers with additional travel options, contributing further to the growth of the domestic aviation sector,” Gambhir said.

The airline has plans to target a “cost-effective" and “convenient" solution for the regional travel needs of flyers in a growing Indian aviation market.

Currently, the Indian aviation market has two active regional carriers namely Fly Big and Star Air with a share of 0.2 percent and 0.3 percent respectively in the domestic civil aviation market.