Air India to add 7 Boeing to its fleet

Mumbai: In the midst of the global slowdown, National Aviation Company of India (Nacil), the company that operates Air India, will take delivery of seven new Boeing aircraft by September. The national carrier will add four B777-700ERs and three B777-200LRs to its fleet between June and September. This will be used for international operations. Currently, the airline has a total fleet of 150 flights.
Confirming the development, a senior Air India official told ET: “We will add seven Boeing aircraft by September for our international operations. This is in addition to the 15 new Airbus planes, which will be added by the end of the fiscal year 2010.” Air India has the largest number of fixed-assets in the Indian aviation industry. It placed orders for 111 new aircraft (68 Boeing and 43 Airbus) in 2005 at an estimated deal size of Rs 45,000 crore.
Once the new Boeing and Airbus aircraft join the existing fleet of Air India, it will phase out 11 of its 20-year old Airbus 320.
The fully government-owned company Nacil, covering the combined operations of Air India and Indian Airlines, has nearly doubled its losses to Rs 4,000 crore in FY09. The company has borrowed close to Rs 15,000 crore, with a large chunk being utilised for funding the purchase of aircraft, according to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa).
05/06/09Mithun Roy/Economic Times

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Categories: NACIL Jun 2009