Kingfisher Airlines, a UB Group company, today took delivery of its first, brand new Airbus A320 aircraft. This is the first instance-ever of a private Indian carrier taking delivery of a brand new aircraft to commence commercial operations. The airline took delivery of its first aircraft at a special delivery ceremony organised at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France.Vijay Mallya, chairman of the UB Group, said: "In the last few months, our team has put in significant efforts to make this dream of Kingfisher Airlines come true. It is not only a momentous but also an emotional journey towards realization of a life-long ambition. With the delivery of the first aircraft of Kingfisher Airlines, we are all very proud to be part of the dawning of an important chapter in the growth of the Indian civil aviation industry.""Having invested in the best-in-class fleet of aircraft, we are committed to achieving our ambition of making Kingfisher Airlines India's largest private airline - both in capacity and market share - by 2,010. This growth plan will be consistent with UB Group's leadership position in all its core businesses. We expect Kingfisher Airlines to be profitable in the very first year of operations - given its strategic approach to control costs, deployment of technology and outsourcing. We are confident of redefining the experience of air travel in India," he added.In addition to the first aircraft being introduced in May 2005, KingfisherAirlines will introduce a new A320-232 aircraft every month during the remainder of 2005. By January 2006, Kingfisher Airlines' fleet willcomprise 12 aircraft.Kingfisher Airlines is a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Breweries Holdings, the UB Group's investments' holding company. The airline has been allocated the IATA airline code of IT.
