Surat Diamond Bourse offers sops to airlines to attract more business

In its continuing bid to attract the best of Mumbai's diamond merchants, the Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) is in talks with airlines to start twice-a-day flights between Mumbai and Surat and has offered to pay any unsold tickets once they start operations, people aware of the matter have said.

- Satish Nandgaonkar and Ajit Joshi

Dineshbhai Navadia, chairman of the media committee of SDB said they "are in talks with several airlines, and have offered to pay for any shortfall to meet their minimum required passenger loads."

If an airline with a flight capacity for 175 requires a minimum 50% occupancy to make the flight viable and is experiencing a sharp shortfall, the remaining seats will be paid for by the bourse, he added. "The airlines are considering our proposal," said Navadia, adding that Surat airport is at a 10-minute distance from SDB and flight connectivity to Mumbai will get a boost after the bourse becomes fully operational.

SDB will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 17.

On Tuesday, it marked a slow start with 135 offices opening for business. Emphasising the two-city tug-of-war, SDB has claimed 26 traders have moved from Mumbai to Surat. To build numbers, it is persevering to attract traffic to the diamond hub.