The Airline Marks The Beginning Of Upgrading And Modernizing Air India’s Fleet: According To An Official Statement

The Airline Marks The Beginning Of Upgrading And Modernizing Air India’s Fleet: According To An Official Statement

The airline said it would phase in 21 Airbus A320neo, four Airbus A321neo and five Boeing 777-200LR widebody aircraft from December.

Updated on 14 Sep, 2022: According to an official statement, the airline marks the beginning of upgrading and modernizing Air India’s fleet, one of the key goals of Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.

The airline said it would phase in 21 Airbus A320neo, four Airbus A321neo and five Boeing 777-200LR widebody aircraft from December.

Widebody aircraft include Premium Economy, a first for Air India. In India, Vistara Airlines, a joint venture between Tata Airways and Singapore Airlines, currently offers premium economy.

Air India last expanded its fleet in 2016 when it leased 14 Airbus A320neo aircraft. This follows orders in 2006-2007 for 111 narrowbody aircraft from Airbus and widebody aircraft from Boeing.

“These new aircraft, which will enter service from the second half of 2022, will add more than 25% to the airline fleet. The new aircraft will be the first major addition to our fleet since the Tata Group acquired Air India earlier this year,” the statement said.

Air India currently has 70 narrow body aircraft, of which 54 are in service and 43 wide body aircraft are in service. The grounded aircraft are expected to return to service early next year, the airline said.

According to Air India, the Boeing 777-200LR will enter service between his December 2022 and his March 2023 and will operate on routes from metropolitan areas to the United States.

Mumbai added flights to San Francisco, as well as New York’s Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy International Airports, adding that Bengaluru will serve San Francisco three times a week.

Four Airbus A321s are expected to join Air India’s fleet in the first quarter of 2023 and 21 A320s are expected to join in the second half of 2023. These aircraft are used for both domestic and short-haul international destinations.

Campbell Wilson, his CEO and MD of Air India, said: These new aircraft, along with existing aircraft returning to service, address the pressing need for more capacity and connectivity and represent a significant step forward. Air India has exciting plans for expansion and renewal, and these new aircraft are just the beginning. “

Chandrasekaran said in his inaugural address to Air India’s staff in February following the acquisition of the Tata Group that upgrading and modernizing its fleet and hospitality is one of Air India’s core areas of focus under the new management. said to be one.

“We will modernize our fleet. We will bring modernity to our fleet. Not (but) we fly to many destinations.”

Air India’s domestic air passenger market share has been steadily declining over the past five to six years, and the expansion of its fleet adds capacity to compete with the likes of IndiGo, Vistara, SpiceJet and AkasaAir.

You get the opportunity. According to the latest official data available, Air India’s domestic market share was his 8.4% in July.

In the same month, IndiGo, Vistara, GoFirst and SpiceJet had market shares of 58.8%, 10.4%, 8.2% and 8.0% respectively.

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