Dragonair today announced that it will add its second passenger destination in India, launching a new service to the important commercial and financial hub of Kolkata. The airline already operates a daily service to Bengaluru (Bangalore).

Subject to government approval and the date of opening of the new airport terminal, the service to Kolkata will commence in winter 2012 with four flights a week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft.

The launch of Dragonair's latest destination will offer more options and greater convenience for people travelling between Hong Kong and the eastern region of India. Travellers can connect through the Hong Kong hub to and from Dragonair's Mainland China network as well as destinations in North America and Australia through seamless connections on the extensive global network of sister airline Cathay Pacific.

Dragonair Chief Executive Officer Patrick Yeung said: "The launch of a new service to Kolkata marks an important step in building Dragonair's presence in the Indian market, following the launch of flights to Bengaluru in 2008. India is one of the major economies in Asia and the country has an increasing influence on the world stage. We are happy to offer travellers to and from this huge market a wider opportunity to enjoy our award-winning products and services.

"The launch of yet another new route by Dragonair is a significant step in enhancing Hong Kong's role as a leading international aviation hub. By improving connections between Hong Kong and India we will offer a wider choice for both business and leisure travellers through our extensive Mainland China network as well as the global network of Cathay Pacific," Mr Yeung added.

The flight schedules are as follows (all times are local and subject to government approval):

* Schedules may change without prior notice

Kolkata will be the seventh destination to be launched or resumed by Dragonair this year. Since April, the airline has already resumed or launched scheduled services to Xi'an, Guilin, Jeju and Taichung. It will launch scheduled services to Clark in the Philippines later this month and Chiang Mai in Thailand in July.

Dragonair, an affiliate member of oneworld, is a Hong Kong-based airline operating a fleet of 35 passenger aircraft and serving 37 regional destinations, including 19 cities in Mainland China. Dragonair has been recognised for its product and service quality, and was voted for two consecutive years "World's Best Regional Airline" in the annual World Airline Survey run by Skytrax in 2010 and 2011. Dragonair is part of the Cathay Pacific Group, providing seamless connectivity for passengers to more than 160 cities around the globe.

Dragonair web site address: www.dragonair.com