Three of the country’s fastest growing airlines have received government approvals for importing aircraft.
In a meeting of the empowered committee for import of aircraft earlier this week, proposals of JetLite, SpiceJet and InterGlobe Aviation (which operates IndiGo Airlines) were approved.
SpiceJet has received an “in principle” approval for 30 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The airline already has board approval for this fleet expansion and is expected to spend around $2.7 billion for it; aircraft deliveries are expected to begin in 2014.
Given SpiceJet’s overseas ambitions and its recent acquisition by media baron Kalanithi Maran, fleet expansion is expected to help the airline expand its horizons, literally.
JetLite has been permitted to import two Boeing 737-800 aircraft by November. Jet Airways has already announced plans to enhance domestic focus. It plans to add 10-15% capacity on domestic sectors this fiscal, signalling economic revival.
Since last fiscal, it had actually cut domestic capacities by a fourth.
Also, InterGlobe can import 14 Airbus 320 planes in financial year 2012. This low-cost carrier is also looking at significant domestic capacity expansion since it flies overseas only next year.
In its meeting, the committee also accorded permissions for aircraft import by non-scheduled operators and by individuals for private use. Only one proposal, of SEL Aviation to begin non-scheduled services, was not permitted for want of a suitable base. “The Airports Authority has reported that there is no spare space available at Ludhiana,” the committee noted.
Luan Airways got a second extension of its proposal to operate non-schedule services for another six months. It was warned this would be the last time an extension is given for beginning services to the north-eastern region. In all, 17 proposals other than the three scheduled airlines’ aircraft import, were approved.
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