Skanray bets on regional air connectivity with proposed Skanjet airline

Vishwaprasad Alva, Managing Director, Skanray Technologies

When airlines run short of aircraft or pilots, smaller cities pay the price first. Mysuru is a case in point. Despite healthy demand, flights are routinely cut, leaving travellers with few alternatives.

Skanray Technologies’ Managing Director, Vishwaprasad Alva, believes this persistent connectivity gap makes a strong case for Skanjet Aviation, his proposed regional airline.

Alva a traces the idea to Mysuru’s growing importance as an education and technology hub. With national expos, IT companies expanding and new education technologies gaining traction, among others, he said the city needs reliable air links to major centres. “One of the biggest gaps we identified was connectivity to Mysuru,” he said.

Healthy demand

Currently, IndiGo operates limited services from Mysuru to destinations such as Hyderabad, Chennai and Kochi. According to Alva, these routes are often the first to be cut during operational disruptions, despite healthy demand. That vulnerability was underscored during recent flight cancellations, when IndiGo’s dominant market share left passengers with few alternatives.

Skanjet plans to commence operations by April 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. While the airline is yet to receive its no objection certificate (NOC) and air operator certificate (AOC), Alva said groundwork for operations is already underway. The airline intends to lease three ATR-72 aircraft, operating short-haul routes from Mysuru to Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi via Mangaluru, Mumbai via Hubballi, and Goa via Bengaluru – with each aircraft expected to make three to four daily rotations.

Indian aviation has long been viewed with scepticism. Air Deccan founder Captain G R Gopinath has famously remarked that in the sector, “Cheques fly faster than flights.” Alva, however, believes disciplined execution can change the outcome. “If you have an 80 per cent load factor, you can break even in about two years,” he said, adding that the focus will be on early profitability rather than rapid expansion.

He argues that demand on these routes already exists. “Cities like Goa, Mangaluru, Kochi, Hyderabad, Vizag and Chennai see heavy road and rail traffic. Travel times are long, roads are congested, and air travel can be cheaper, safer and far more efficient,” Alva said.

To fund the venture, Skanjet plans to raise approximately ₹150 crore through its associates from HNI. If successful, the airline plans to add three more aircraft within a year of launch

Published on December 19, 2025