KOCHI: Air India
Express(AIE) will acquire 14 Boeing 737-800 aircraft in the next four to
five years, jacking up its fleet strength from 21 to 35.
Announcing the acquisition plan at a joint press conference here on Wednesday, chief operating officer Ansbert D'souza and deputy chief operating officer Captain Puspinder Singh said the decision to get the new aircraft was taken as part of the Rs 30,000 turnaround plan approved by the civil aviation ministry for Air India as a whole.
The airline is yet to take a call on whether to go in for leasing or buy the aircraft. The airline's current fleet comprises 17 owned and four leased aircraft.
The AIE raked in Rs 1,700 crore in revenue last year and with the proposed 57% hike in services, it is expected to touch Rs 2,000 crore this year. Faced with acute criticism on cancellation of flights, particularly in the Kerala-Gulf sector, the officials said the airline would ensure schedule integrity and promptness in departures. "The top management will directly monitor the steps needed for maintaining schedule integrity and to ensure that the flights take off on time," D'souza said.
Pointing out that nearly 60% of AIE operations are based out of the three airports in Kerala and the one in Mangalore, they said the airline's investment in Kerala and Mangalore was Rs 3,600 in aircraft alone. The AIE would base four aircraft in Kozhikode and three each in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangalore.
"Another Rs 100 crore has been invested in the hangar facility in Thiruvananthapuram. This aircraft Maintenance, Repair Overhaul (MRO) facility will be able perform 'C' checks of aircraft (after 6,000 hours of flying) in a few months' time. It is waiting for DGCA approval to start brakes assembly production," they said.
Announcing the acquisition plan at a joint press conference here on Wednesday, chief operating officer Ansbert D'souza and deputy chief operating officer Captain Puspinder Singh said the decision to get the new aircraft was taken as part of the Rs 30,000 turnaround plan approved by the civil aviation ministry for Air India as a whole.
The airline is yet to take a call on whether to go in for leasing or buy the aircraft. The airline's current fleet comprises 17 owned and four leased aircraft.
The AIE raked in Rs 1,700 crore in revenue last year and with the proposed 57% hike in services, it is expected to touch Rs 2,000 crore this year. Faced with acute criticism on cancellation of flights, particularly in the Kerala-Gulf sector, the officials said the airline would ensure schedule integrity and promptness in departures. "The top management will directly monitor the steps needed for maintaining schedule integrity and to ensure that the flights take off on time," D'souza said.
Pointing out that nearly 60% of AIE operations are based out of the three airports in Kerala and the one in Mangalore, they said the airline's investment in Kerala and Mangalore was Rs 3,600 in aircraft alone. The AIE would base four aircraft in Kozhikode and three each in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangalore.
"Another Rs 100 crore has been invested in the hangar facility in Thiruvananthapuram. This aircraft Maintenance, Repair Overhaul (MRO) facility will be able perform 'C' checks of aircraft (after 6,000 hours of flying) in a few months' time. It is waiting for DGCA approval to start brakes assembly production," they said.
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