seats into its aircraft. Following its no-frills approach, it charged for all food and beverages served on board. Payment was also required for cancellations, and no refunds or accommodations were provided to passengers who had missed their flights. Air Deccan operated a point-to-point route network from seven base airports. It maintained low turnaround times and often outsourced work to local airport employees, especially at airports that saw few Air Deccan flights and did not require dedicated employees throughout the day. Air Deccan also gained advertising revenue by allowing advertisements both inside and outside its aircraft. For reservations, the airline utilised multiple channels. Passengers could book tickets through travel agents, on the Internet or through call centres. Each of these channels was connected to a fully web-enabled reservation system, making Air Deccan the first in India to use such a system. Air Deccan also avoided the cost of printing tickets; passengers or travel agents were required to do so off the Internet. Simplifly Deccan (2007–2008) In early May 2007, rumours began to circulate that Vijay Mallya, founder of Kingfisher Airlines, was interested in buying Air Deccan. Dispelled the rumours, claiming and I] are from different planets; he is from Venus, I am from Mars". Gopinath believed it was impossible to merge the airlines' separate business models; Kingfisher was a full-service carrier. Nevertheless, negotiations began at the end of the month, and Kingfisher parent United Breweries Group purchased a controlling 26% stake in Deccan Aviation on 31 May. Gopinath had changed his mind upon understanding that the two airlines would continue to function independently. In addition, he needed to raise funds; Air Deccan had lost during the quarter ending 31 March 2007. Air Deccan was rebranded Simplifly Deccan in October 2007 and adopted Kingfisher's livery and flight attendant uniform. In December 2007, the airlines announced that they would merge into a single corporate entity while maintaining separate brands. The airline business of Kingfisher Airlines Ltd was merged into Deccan Aviation Ltd on 1 April 2008. The charter business of Deccan Aviation Ltd was spun off into a separate company known as Deccan Charters Ltd. The combined company utilized Simplifly Deccan's operating permit, allowing it to launch international flights in 2008; Simplifly Deccan would complete five years of operation that year. Mallya introduced major changes to the Simplifly Deccan brand in order to reduce losses and improve the airline's reputation, which had declined