New Delhi: Air India has scrapped a plan to sell five Boeing 777s, as it couldn’t find any buyers for these. The carrier had planned to sell two Boeing 777 200-LR (long range) aircraft and three Boeing 777 300-ER (extended range) aircraft. A senior aviation ministry official said now, Air India was considering reconfiguring these aircraft (changing the number of seats in each class) to deploy the Boeing 777-200 LR on the Saudi Arabia route and the B777-300 ER on the North America route.
“We were recording huge losses on most routes in which 777s are deployed. As these planes are owned by Air India, we have no option but to reconfigure and operate them on the Gulf and North America routes. Even redeploying the 777s won’t generate operational profit for us. But right now, Air India’s intention is to minimise losses by altering the seat configuration,” the official said.
Air India had also approached Boeing to sell these planes, but to no avail, the official added.
Airline experts say the problem with Air India 777s is their seat configuration and the fact that these aircraft were fuel guzzlers.
Though Boeing 777s are the mainstay of the Dubai-based Emirates airline (of its fleet size of 189 aircraft, 89 are Boeing 777 200 LR and 777 300 ER), the carrier is recording profits. According to data on the Emirates websites, its 777s have both 290, as well as 346, seats---a two-class configuration.
17/11/12 Disha Kanwar/Business Standard
