PUNE: Chennai-based Paramount Airways, the latest to hit the skies, connected Pune to major Southern destinations on Thursday with the launch of its maiden direct flight to Chennai.

The airliner with a fleet strength of five Embraer 170 and 175 e-jets covers Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vizag, Kochi, Trivandrum and Trichy.

Announcing the flight, Paramount Airways managing director M Thiagarajan said, “The expansion of the operation to the western region is in accordance with the scheduled plans. Paramount was to enter western skies by 2008-09 and did it by starting services in Ahmedabad, Goa and now Pune.”

“Embraer aircraft are fuel efficient, need less maintenance and fly higher than Boeing,” said Thiagarajan, when asked about the launch in the face of recession in the Indian aviation sector.

About the fare, Thiagarajan said pricing is based on tier system with Rs 4,500 and Rs 16,000 as the starting price for business and executive classes respectively for Chennai.

Flights will depart daily from the Lohegaon airport at 10.10 pm and reach Chennai at 12.05 am. Barring direct Pune-Chennai flights, the airliner has flights originating from Madurai, Trivandrum, Cochin and Coimbatore landing at Lohegaon.

For bookings, contacted 044 4343 4444 and toll free number 1800 180 1234.