The Hindu Business Line : AI floats tenders for lease of 20 aircraft

The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel, flanked by Mr Mohammed Fazal, Governor of Maharashtra, and Mr V. Thulasidas, Chairman & MD, Air India, at the Global Aviation Seminar organised by the airline as part of the JRD Tata birth centenary celebrations in Mumbai on Saturday. — Paul Noronha

Mumbai , July 31

AIR India has floated tenders for lease of 20 aircraft, including three ultra long-haul Boeing 777-LR or A340-500 aircraft.

Of the 20 aircraft, 17 will be from among A330-200, A340-300, B777-200ER and B747-400 combi for a period of five or seven years.

Early this month, the airline had tendered for 14 aircraft, including the Boeing-737 and the A-330 and the A-340, to be operated by its no-frills subsidiary, A-I Express.

According to the Chairman and Managing Director, Mr V. Thulasidas, the airline has received offers for six of these smaller capacity aircraft.

He said this while speaking at a function to celebrate the birth centenary of J.R.D. Tata here on Saturday. The current leasing programme is the second phase of AI's acquisition plan.

Under an earlier programme, pending before the Government, the airline plans to purchase a total of 28 aircraft.

The airline, which now operates 162 international flights, plans to offer 324 flights by the year 2006. Further, in order to extend its reach, the airline plans to formalise strategic alliances with more international carriers, on the lines of its current agreement with Lufthansa. It has also identified new stations that it would like to cover over the next two years.