Indian airline Kingfisher seeks UK-based marketer

Kingfisher, the privately-owned Indian airline, is seeking a UK-based marketer as it prepares to launch its international routes.

The UK marketer will work with the airline’s senior marketer in Mumbai, Vikram Malhotra, who previously worked for FCB.

The airline has already appointed JWT to handle its 10m advertising business ahead of the launch.

The company has been granted approval by the Indian Government, but is still awaiting regulatory approval in this country for the Bangalore to Heathrow service. It hopes to begin services in September.

Once approval has been granted, the airline is expected to roll out a marketing campaign in the UK and other markets.

The Bangalore-based carrier has obtained two slots at Heathrow and is believed to be in negotiations to take over a second pair of slots from Dutch carrier KLM (MW June 23). It also hopes to begin flights to San Franciscoand a number of Asian destinations.

The airline was given the all-clear to begin international flights by the Indian authorities on Tuesday after traffic rights were granted to Deccan Aviation.

Under Indian law, airlines under five years old are not allowed to fly internationally. Kingfisher was founded in 2005, but last year merged with the older Deccan.