The Hindu Business Line : Air India to launch all-economy class, 10 weekly flights to Kuwait

"The Airbus aircraft have already been sent for conversion into freighters, while four other aircraft will be returned to the various leasing companies on the expiry of their leases.

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New Delhi Feb. 9 Air India has taken one Boeing 757-200 aircraft on wet lease from a Turkey-based company to operate 10 weekly all economy class flights between India and Kuwait.

Official sources told Business Line that the leased Boeing 757 aircraft would be deployed to operate two flights a week on the Kochi-Chennai-Kuwait sector and one weekly flight each on the Kuwait-Kozhikode and Kozhikode-Kochi-Kuwait sectors. A wet lease involves taking an aircraft on lease with the cockpit crew.

In addition, the aircraft would also be deployed to operate three weekly flights each on the Mumbai-Kuwait and three weekly flights on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Kuwait sectors.

Air India Express

While, Air India has a fleet of aircraft that offers seating in either two or three classes to its passengers, it is has a 100 per cent subsidiary, Air India Express that operates aircraft offering all economy class seating.

"The aircraft is being leased for six months although we may extend the lease if the need arises. Despite being an all-economy aircraft, the flight will be an Air India operation," a senior airline official said.

Leasing

The airline is also looking to lease more equipment as at least six aircraft including two Airbus A-310 aircraft are to be pulled out of service shortly. "The Airbus aircraft have already been sent for conversion into freighters, while at lease four other aircraft will be returned to the various leasing companies on the expiry of their leases.

"To bridge the capacity constraints till our purchased aircraft join the fleet, the airline is leasing," a senior airline official said.