Launched this week, chairman and principal Navdip Singh Judge of airline Pop said he hoped to be running two three-times-a-week services from Stansted to Amritsar and Ahmedabad, neither of which have direct UK links currently, by the end of the year.
The route would see the use of a 378-seat all-economy Airbus A330-300 aircraft in full livery and will be largely targeted at the visiting friends and relatives market as well as tourists and business travellers.
Judge added 51% of the airline’s profits will be donated to good causes in both countries served by the airline while passengers will be able to choose which charities to support when they make a booking.
Initially the all donations will be made via the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), although a dedicated charitable foundation may be established in due course.
The airline is hoping to raise £5 million towards its start up costs with a crowdfunding campaign starting in June and lasting for 60 days
The crowdfunding campaign involves raising start-up funds for the company via the pre-sale of Pop Gold Passes, each priced at £500, with different rewards on offer.
The first 10,000 Gold Pass holders will win one free off-peak return seat to any Pop destination and will, for the following five years when flying with POP, be entitled to a range of VIP benefits both on the ground and in the air, including extra luggage, and free and unlimited ticket name changes.
Judge said: “My vision is to create an airline that, unlike any other before it, serves not just the passengers travelling between the UK and the developing world but, just as importantly, delivers tangible benefits to the communities they are visiting.”
He added the airline also hopes to offer family and business-convenient schedules in order to reverse the trend of middle-of-the-night international movements into and out of India.
