Dragonair today announced that it will fly passengers to India for the first time in May when it launches a new service to Bangalore, a major economic hub that in recent years has become the technology capital of India.

The service to Bangalore will commence on May 1, 2008 with daily flights operated by A330-300 aircraft. The launch of the destination will open up new opportunities for people travelling between Hong Kong and the thriving southern region of India.

"We are excited to be able to announce our entry into the huge Indian market. This is a very important step for Dragonair and a major development in Hong Kong's role as a leading international aviation hub," said Dragonair Chief Executive Officer Kenny Tang.

"With a daily service to and from Bangalore we can use Hong Kong's hub advantage to connect travellers onto Dragonair's extensive network of destinations in Mainland China as well as the international network of our sister airline Cathay Pacific."

Bangalore will be the seventh new destination to be launched since Dragonair became part of the Cathay Pacific Group in September 2006. In the past year the airline has also launched scheduled services to Phuket, Busan, Fukuoka, Sendai and Kathmandu, and a daily charter service to Taichung in Taiwan.

Dragonair, an affiliate member of oneworld, is a Hong Kong-based airline operating a fleet of 31 passenger aircraft and eight freighters serving 34 regional destinations, including 21 cities in Mainland China. Dragonair is part of the Cathay Pacific Group, providing seamless connectivity for passengers to more than 100 cities around the globe.

Dragonair web site address: www.dragonair.com