Zav Airways, floated by a group of non-resident Indians, will start operation from Kolkata on March 22. The airline will fly to the North-East and other tier-II cities.

Zav chairman Kishor Zavery told TOI that they are planning to invest Rs 6,000 crore in
the venture over a span of two years. "We have initiated discussions for purchasing six ATR aircraft and plan to do so in the next few months. The first two planes are likely to be delivered by February end. This will be the first airways based in Kolkata," he said.

Zaveri added that the airline has already got the NOC from the civil aviation ministry and the company will soon take up the matter with the chief minister. In the first phase, the company is planning to start air taxi services in various district towns of the state and in the North-East. It will buy four helicopters for the air taxi service.