The Hindu Business Line : IA re-enters market to lease 12 wide body aircraft

The airline, which is to choose from the Airbus A-330, A-340 and A-310-300 apart from the Boeing 767 Extended Range and Boeing 777, hopes to induct the aircraft between February next year and January 2008.

Sources indicated that the airline has been forced to enter the market again as the earlier tender floated by it did not receive a good response.

While some vendors withdrew their aircraft even before the tender validity expired, others were keen to complete the process within a very short time forcing both the parties to call off the negotiations.

The airline, which plans to lease the aircraft for between five and seven years, is looking to offer electrical connection to its business class passengers and is examining the option of offering these in economy class also so that they could use their personal computers during the flight. Besides, the airline has indicated a desire of having provision not only for a fax and sky phones, but also a Net-based linkage.

The induction of the aircraft could see the airline look at the option of operating flights to the UK, US, Canada and Australia.

Operating flights

The Government has designated IA to operate flights to Australia and the US. Besides, the airline has received permission to commence operations to the UK.

However, it does not have the equipment as yet to start services to these countries for which it plans to lease wide-body aircraft. The airline could also use these aircraft to operate flights on some high-density domestic routes.