Mumbai: Jet Airways is planning to increase capacity on international routes and induct two Boeing 777s this year. The airline, which earns about 55 per cent of revenue from international operations, has leased five Boeing 777s to Thai Airways; the lease term would end this year.
A senior Jet executive said of the five leased Boeing 777s, the airline would induct two and wet-lease three to Turkish Airlines for a year. Under a wet lease, the aircraft owner provides pilots and crew members and is responsible for the aircraft’s maintenance.
Currently, the airline flies the wide-bodied Boeing 777s on the London and Hong Kong routes from Mumbai and Delhi. It is not known on which routes Jet would deploy the two Boeing 777s on.
Jet’s renewed focus on international routes comes at a time when the company is concluding a stake sale with Etihad Airways. It has sought additional traffic rights for Abu Dhabi (Etihad’s headquarters), Amsterdam, Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.
30/03/13 Aneesh Phadnis/Business Standard
