After hitting an air pocket over leasing problems resulting in suspension of flight services over the last few months, Paramount Airways is again set to take wing in the next one month. The company will restore services to all 17 destinations.

?All issues, including those related to leasing, have been settled. We hope to commence operations in December and restore connectivity to all 17 destinations where we were operating by March,? said Paramount Airways managing director M Thiagarajan.

The company is buying eight A-320s and six Embraer Q400s.

?In addition, we will lease a few Airbus 320s along with crews,? Thiagarajan said.

The company has been facing problems related to maintenance reimbursement with leasing companies such as Gecas and ECC.

?Lack of communications with directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) had led to grounding of our aircraft. We have convinced the authorities that Paramount did nothing wrong and explained that Paramount Airways has been the only airline consistently making profits over the years. We have settled all issues and we are in a position to fly high again,? the Paramount MD said. Thiagarajan said that despite all issues, Paramount Airways continued to enjoy its brand equity and retained its slot in the top 200 brands in India. ?This is purely because of our timings, extended quality services and premium offerings (all business class). We also don?t see any threat from other operators as we have been flying with them in almost every other destination except in one or two places,? he added.

The company will target tier II and tier III cities in its quest to become a pan-India player. ?There has been a 20% growth in passenger traffic in tier II and III cities which is expected to grow further. We are looking at making Delhi our second hub and expand our footprints. India is catching up fast and we could see booming activities in tier II and tier III cities. We will work towards increasing the frequency of flights to the existing routes and will expand to new routes as well,? Thiagarajan said.

Paramount held 27% market share in the southern region.