Indian to buy 10 wide-bodied planes

PSU carrier Indian Airlines is planning to acquire 10 wide-bodied aircraft for international operations, while its subsidiary is planning to buy seven small turboprop for regional use.

The airline has already floated global tenders to lease up to ten wide-bodied Airbus aircraft. This is in addition to the purchase of 16 50-seater turboprob and six 70-seater regional jets.

Indian Airlines will go for A330-200 or A330-300 aircraft with Pratt & Whittney's PW4000 series engines on dry lease basis for five years, which can be extended to another five years.

Chairman and Managing Director Vishwapati Trivedi confirmed the development, saying, "We are facing a shortage of aircraft to deploy on international routes."

Indian Airlines is planning to connect the country with South Africa and other destinations, besides other international routes, he said.

Indian Airlines had earlier floated a global tender for 12 wide-bodied aircraft, but could only manage to get two aircraft.

Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Indian Airlines, has also floated tenders for leasing seven ATR 42-320 fitted with PW 121 engines.

"Small jets will be deployed on point-to-point services in the regional market. For instance, a 70- or 50-seater would be an ideal aircraft to service the Delhi-Khajuraho sector," Trivedi said.

Indian Airlines, which already placed orders for 43 new Airbus aircraft, has recently signed a tripartite term sheet to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for its aircraft. The other signatories were Airbus and Bangalore-based Jupiter Aviation and Logistics, who is the exclusive strategic partner to EADS in India for the MRO and life cycle support of commercial aircraft.

According to the term sheet, the MRO venture would begin in Delhi with two A320 hangars. A third hangar would be added in due course.

The facility would cater to major maintenance of A320 fleet of Indian, followed by check maintenance of ATR and other A320 aircraft in India. The Phase II expansion would cater to wide-bodied and other aircraft. In the third year, facilities would be created for catering to over 200 single-aisle and wide-bodied aircraft belonging to customers from India and abroad.

A comprehensive business plan has been worked out.

"The operations of this MRO should start by this October. This would be the first and biggest MRO facility in India," Indian Airlines officials said.