The Hindu Business Line : IA plans to lease 12 wide-body aircraft

INDIAN Airlines plans to re-enter the market soon for leasing 12 wide-body aircraft. The airline is examining the option of re-entering the leasing market as the earlier offers it received were not considered suitable, industry sources said.

The airline plans to choose from the Airbus A 310-3, Airbus A-330 and Boeing 767 Extended Range and B-777 aircraft categories. It plans to lease the aircraft for five to seven years.

Sources were tight-lipped on whether the airline would be able to adhere to its earlier time-schedule of inducting the aircraft from January next year and completing the process within one year.

Route expansion: The proposed induction of the aircraft could see the airline route network expand into new territories in Europe, the US, Canada and Saudi Arabia. The airline also plans to use these aircraft to expand operations to existing destinations in East Asia, and also to examine options of operating to some new cities there.

The Government has already designated the airline to operate flights to Australia, the UK and the US. Besides, the airline has received permission to start operations to the UK. The airline already operates to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and several cities in the Gulf region.

"The destinations that the airline will decide on will depend on the availability of aircraft. But it is possible that we would look at increasing flights to Singapore and going a little beyond," sources said when asked on the possible cities to which the leased wide-body aircraft would operate.

Purchase deal: The airline is waiting to sign the final agreement to purchase 43 Airbus aircraft. It has, in the interim, been leasing aircraft to meet the growing market demand. Late last week, the airline inducted three leased Airbus A-319 aircraft which will be used to operate flights on the trunk and feeder routes.

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