Air Carnival
IATA ICAO Callsign
2S[1] ACV[1] CARNAIR[2]
Founded2013
Commenced operations18 July 2016
Ceased operations6 April 2017[3]
Operating basesCoimbatore International Airport
HubsChennai International Airport
Fleet size1 (March 2017)
Destinations4 (March 2017)
HeadquartersCoimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Key people
  • Manish Kumar Singh, CEO
  • S. I. Nathan, founder and Chairman
Websiteaircarnival.in

Air Carnival was an Indian regional airline based at Coimbatore International Airport with a hub at Chennai International Airport. Air Carnival was promoted by the Coimbatore Marine College (CMC) Group. It was founded in 2013 as a charter airline but transitioned to scheduled operations within South India, which were launched in July 2016.

The airline ceased operations on 6 April 2017. The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation suspended its air operator's permit in June 2017. In November 2017, the Chennai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) ordered the corporate insolvency resolution process against the airline[4] and ordered liquidation of the company in January 2019.[5]

An Air Carnival ATR 72-500 at Dubai International Airport awaiting delivery

History

The company was founded in 2013 by S.I. Nathan of the CMC group, as Air Carnival Charter Services, a charter airline based in Delhi.[6] The group later shifted the focus of Air Carnival to short-haul routes within South India. Coimbatore was selected as the base for its aircraft in order to offer optimum flight timings to the city's business community.[7]

Manish Kumar Singh was chief executive officer; and S. I. Nathan, who is also the director of CMC Group, was the founder and chairman.[8]

The airline was positioned as a small-town carrier, with a fleet of two aircraft. The plan was to operate on short-haul routes where it could fly profitably[9] with a focus on unserved and poorly served markets.[6] The airline received its no-objection certificate from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in June 2014 to operate on regional routes in South India.[10] Air Carnival received its first aircraft, an ATR 72-500, in April 2016[11] and its air operator's certificate in July 2016.[12] The airline commenced operations on 18 July 2016 with a flight from Coimbatore to Chennai.[13]

The promoters ran into funding issues within nine months of operations. Efforts to acquire two more aircraft did not materialise as promoters failed to raise funds. The promoters attempted to sell their stake in the airline in April 2017.[14] However, by then the airline had ceased operations after the airline's engineers demanding wages went on a two-day strike, resulting in the grounding of its lone aircraft.[15] The Directorate General of Civil Aviation suspended Carnival's air operator's certificate in June 2017 after the airline failed to satisfy the regulator in its response to a show-cause notice.[16]

In November 2017, the Chennai bench of the NCLT ordered the corporate insolvency resolution process against the airline[4] and, after finding no investors to revive the airline, ordered liquidation of the company in January 2019.[5]

Destinations

Air Carnival was flying to the following destinations in India prior to ceasing operations:[17]

State City Airport Notes
Tamil Nadu Chennai Chennai International Airport [18]
Coimbatore Coimbatore International Airport —
Tuticorin Tuticorin Airport —
Tiruchirappalli Tiruchirappalli International Airport —

Fleet

Prior to ceasing operations, Air Carnival operated a single ATR 72-500[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Air Carnival". ch-aviation. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  2. ^ "7340.2F with Change 1 and Change 2 and Change 3" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 15 September 2016. p. CAM 1-1. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  3. ^ Revathy, L. N. "Air Carnival aircraft grounded | Business Line". Thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b "NCLT orders insolvency process against regional airline Air Carnival". Financial Express. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Mayday! Air Carnival goes for liquidation as no investor finds it airworthy". Financial Express. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  6. ^ a b Narasimhan, T. E. (14 June 2016). "Coimbatore biz group to launch airline". Business Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  7. ^ "We'll get home town advantage in Coimbatore: Air Carnival CEO". The Times of India. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Air Carnival to start flying from July 18". The Hindu. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  9. ^ Narasimhan, T. E. (27 January 2015). "With short-haul flights, Air Carnival joins the aviation race". Business Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  10. ^ Kumar, Sajan (31 December 2014). "Air Carnival sees no air pockets, to launch by April". The Financial Express. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  11. ^ Revathy, L. N. (15 April 2016). "Air Carnival to take wings in May". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Air Carnival to add two more aircraft". The Hindu. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  13. ^ Narasimhan, T. E. (18 July 2016). "Coimbatore-based Air Carnival commences operations". Business Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  14. ^ "Air Carnival to change hands, 100% stake sale likely this week". The Economic Times. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Air Carnival aircraft grounded". The Hindu. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  16. ^ "DGCA suspends Air Carnival's flying permit". Live Mint. 18 June 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Flight schedule". Air Carnival. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  18. ^ "Air Carnival to add two more aircraft". The Hindu. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  19. ^ "Air Carnival Fleet Details". Retrieved 11 April 2023.

External links

Media related to Air Carnival at Wikimedia Commons

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