Monday, July 3 2006 17:31 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Kuwait's only private airline Jazeera Airways Monday launched its direct low-cost flights from Kuwait City to New Delhi and Mumbai.

"The Middle East sector is the largest market for India - 34 percent of India's total outbound travel is to the Middle East." Marwan Boodai, chief of Jazeera Airways, told reporters here.

"India is a strategic market for Jazeera Airways and our expansion to India marks a major milestone on the development of Jazeera Airways," he said.

Jazeera Airways is owned by Kuwait Public Shareholding Company set up in 2004 and has grown from servicing five destinations to 10 today - Dubai, Beirut, Amman, Bahrain, Aleppo, Luxor, Damascus, Alexandria, New Delhi and Mumbai.

"We entered India before Pakistan and Bangladesh because of market needs. The Indian expatriates form 20 percent of Kuwait's population," said Bodai, adding that this was the airline's first venture in the sub-continent.

"We plan to bring more business in the Indian market. We are speaking with the concerned officials to add more destinations."

The airline also announced the addition of a new Airbus A-320 to its fleet of aircraft.

According to the airline's officials, India's travel trade industry - worth $38.8 billion and projected to grow to $90.4 billion by 2014 - ranks third in growth after China and Motenegro.

However, only two percent of the Indians travel by air. Thus the airlines, based on a low-fares business model, plans to address the Indian middle class, that is growing in terms of propensity to consume.