Air-India and Indian Airlines are to submit another aircraft acquisition proposal for long haul jets and replacement of wide-bodied planes, respectively.
While A-I would go for long haul aircraft to fly non-stop to destinations like the US, IA will look for replacement for wide-bodied Airbus A300 aircraft, Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel told newspersons in Mumbai on Thursday at a function to mark the birth centenary of J R D Tata.
Air-India: Of divestment and other issues
Patel said these proposals would be in addition to the earlier proposal of 28 aircraft (10 A340 and 18 Boeing 737-800s) of A-I and 43 Airbus aircraft for IA, which is pending before the government.
In the changed environment, he said there was need for operating non-stop flights to the US and for this purpose A-I would be looking at taking on lease 20 more aircraft, including some long haul jets, during the next two years.
Patel said in the next two years A-I's fleet should double to 60 aircraft as a proposal has been taken up with the finance ministry for equity infusion in A-I as well as IA.
Speaking at a function, after unveiling a statue of Tata, Patel said in the present competitive environment, employees need to change their attitude to rise to the occasion and regain the market share (currently 20 per cent), which it has lost to the foreign carriers.
He said with A-I planning to double its fleet size to 60 planes, employees need to take the airline forward and regain its past glory.
