Zomato’s Deepinder Goyal backs LAT Aerospace to offer low-cost, high-frequency flights using compact air-stops across under-connected Indian regions.
Deepinder Goyal, co-founder of the food business, invested in LAT Aerospace, a recent start-up in the aviation industry specialising in short-haul transportation. LAT Aerospace has recently intended to enhance its regional connectivity by encouraging regular and accessible air travel in India. Surobhi Das, co-founder of LAT, posted this update via LinkedIn and explained that the company aims to make domestic travel simple.
Das observed that India possesses more than 450 airstrips, but there are fewer than 150 airstrips available for commercial flights. This implies that much of India has been left in terms of its aviation infrastructure. LAT will also fill this gap because it will focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where air connectivity is not as efficient, and many people will have to use slow means of travel, such as roads and trains.
Affordable Flights and Air-Stops Near Residential Areas
In the LAT Aerospace model, the company aims to build airstops and small landing and take-off sites that occupy less space than conventional airports. These airstops, which are comparable to parking lots, shall be constructed near the housing areas. This aims to provide passengers with streamlined access to boarding, which eliminates long commutes, security lines, and overcrowding within the airports.
The airline’s business idea is to compare regional flights to buses in the air, providing high frequency and low intensity to the regionally unserved market. The model would cut down the travel time of millions of inhabitants in areas beyond the main metros. The LAT Aerospace mission is to facilitate the travel of small towns that are not regularly connected by flights, as stipulated by the traditional aviation models.
Focus on Untapped Market Potential
The aviation market in India is still expanding, yet access is unevenly distributed across the regions. LAT Aerospace’s strategy enables the company to unlock aviation demand in cities not covered by airlines’ conventional routes. Through the emphasis on frequency and accessibility, the company can compete in a niche that has not yet been developed.
Deepinder Goyal’s presence brings startup experience and industry exposure to the mission of LAT. The reason behind his cooperation with LAT is his own travel experiences, wherein he has found many loopholes in the existing forms of travelling within the region. LAT Aerospace will locate its operations in areas where infrastructural networks associated with travelling needs are not fully utilised, as it will be taking advantage of already existing airstrips within the region, with limited construction to be put in place.
