In its fourth year of operations, the international budget carrier now has 11 fully-owned aircraft while seven are on lease, which will expire in 2010. Each aircraft would cost about $50 million and the purchase is being funded by US-based Exim Bank. The airline operates 143 flights a week from Indian cities to 12 destinations in Far East and West Asian countries.
Singh said they were facing pilot shortage and, therefore, were going slow on expansion. It currently has employed 80 pilots including 58 'imported' captains. "There is about 20 per cent shortage (of pilots),'' Singh said. However, he felt the situation would ease in about three years. The attrition rate was stable.
Meanwhile, the airline is set to commence its operation ex-Hyderabad to Dubai on June 5. It will fly thrice a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to Dubai departing Hyderabad at 1320 hrs and arriving in Dubai at 1520 hrs (local time). "The Hyderabad-Dubai sector has a lot of potential,'' he said, adding the AIE had a 30 per cent share in the overall flight business to Dubai.
It would begin operations from Goa from June 17 and from other south Indian cities to Saudi Arabia soon. Currently, it also flies to Kuala Lumpur from Chennai. The Hyderabad-Dubai flight would be a connecting flight to the Kuala Lumpur flight, he said.
