In a step towards launching its low cost airline, Air-India Express, in April 2005, Air-India on Tuesday floated a global tender to take on lease six Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The aircraft, with CFM engines, are to be taken on lease for three years extendable to five years, A-I sources said, adding the last date for submitting technical and financial bids is July 9, 2004.
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The no-frills airline would be operated by its subsidiary Air-India Charters Ltd with 25 per cent discounted fares to the Persian Gulf and South East Asia from Cochin, Calicut, Trivandrum and Delhi in the first phase.
The 180-seater leased aircraft, to be based in Delhi, are to be registered under AICL with A-I guaranteeing payment of lease rental and maintenance reserves.
A-I board had, less than a fortnight ago (May 29), approved the starting of the new airline with an all economy class layout through AICL.
As many as 14 Boeing 737-800s would be taken on lease in three phases over a one-year period beginning April to operate 127 flights a week from Kerala, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai to the Gulf and South East destinations. Most of these flights would be on a quick turn around basis.
Boeing Company vice president (aircraft trading) Dinesh Keskar has already assured A-I that the aircraft would be made available by early 2005.
As part of its growth plans and to increase services to the US, A-I had last month floated tenders to take on lease three Airbus A340-300s and one more Boeing 747-400.
A-I is to launch thrice a week Boeing flights via Frankfurt to Los Angeles from June 11, increase it to five from December and have a daily service from April, 2005.
The Airbus aircraft will operate flights from summer next year to San Francisco, the fifth destination in the US after New York, Newark, Chicago and Los Angeles.