Boeing 737s of SpiceJet will have newly-designed interiors

The next-generation Boeing 737 -800 aircraft, 30 of which were ordered by no-frills carrier SpiceJet, would have newly-designed interiors with sculpted sidewalls, the US manufacturer said today.

The agreement to acquire 30 Boeing 737-800s with winglets, announced in the presence of US President Barack Obama in Mumbai on Saturday, is valued at $2.3 billion at list prices.

A Boeing spokesperson said the next-generation planes would have all-new Boeing 'Sky Interior', characterised by modern, sculpted sidewalls and windows besides larger stow bins.

The next development in this aircraft would be a package of performance improvements that would reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by two per cent, making the plane more efficient than the earlier versions of the B-737s delivered so far.

"Performance improvements to the airframe and engine are beginning certification test soon and will be fully in service by early 2012," the spokesperson said.

SpiceJet's proposal to acquire 30 of these aircraft was among several cleared in September by the Aircraft Acquisition Committee, an empowered panel of the Civil Aviation Ministry which gives airline operators permission to import aircraft.

SpiceJet, which currently operates a fleet of 24 Boeing 737-800 and 737-900 Extended Range aircraft, had signed a preliminary MoU with Boeing in July and announced it shortly after Sun TV chief Kalanithi Maran acquired a 37.5 per cent stake in the low-cost carrier.

"SpiceJet is already operating a sizeable fleet of 737-800s and 737-900ERs and the new order underscores the airline's confidence in the airplane," Dinesh Keskar, Boeing International Vice President and its India President, said after the announcement in Mumbai.

SpiceJet CEO Neil Mills said the company was satisfied with the "reliable" plane and added that "with the addition of the new 737s, it will help us expand our domestic network as well as support the launch of our international destinations."

Till date, over 125 customers have placed orders for more than 5,600 next-generation B 737s. Unfilled orders for these aircraft "exceed 2,100 airplanes valued at more than USD 160 billion at average list prices", the Boeing spokesperson said.