Air India Goes Ahead With Delivery Plans

Air India will receive the first of 27 Boeing 787s on order in the first quarter of 2011 (April). The first 787 will be delivered to ANA in the last quarter this year, confirmed Dinesh Keskar, Boeing India President.
Air India (AI) will receive about 15 787s by the end of 2012, according to an airline official who did not want to be identified. This figure was not confirmed by Boeing.
The Indian carrier plans to replace its eight leased A310-300s with the 787s, said an Air India spokesman.
Even as the carrier goes through major losses, Air India seems to be increasing its inventory of new aircraft steadily. According to Chairman Arvind Jadhav, the airline took deliveries of 29 aircraft in 2009 that enhanced fleet utilization and helped phase out 11 old aircraft.
By March 2010, three 777-200s, two Airbus A310s and eight A320s will be returned or retired from the fleet, said Jadhav. Earlier efforts to lease out its 777s proved fruitless when Royal Brunei Airlines leased three 777-300ERs from Jet Airways instead.
Of the 23 777s on order, AI has already taken delivery of all eight 200-LRs and five of the 15 777ERs; three will be delivered this year.
20/01/10 Neelam Mathews/Aviation Week

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Categories: NACIL Jan 2010