Air India, Air India Express to get new jets ahead of holiday season

Tata Group is planning to get six Boeing 777-2000 aircraft and 25 Airbus A320 Neo aircraft on lease by the first quarter of 2023 to expand the capacity of Air India and Air India Express

In a bid to expand the flying capacity ahead of the holiday season, the Tata Group has decided to induct several planes by 2023 for its two airlines, Air India and Air India Express. The company is planning to get six Boeing 777-2000 aircraft and 25 Airbus A320 Neo aircraft on lease by the first quarter of 2023, Economic Times (ET) reported.

Tata Group is in the final stages of placing an order for 200 narrowbody and widebody jets from Airbus and Boeing. But their delivery might only start by the end of 2024. To meet the short-term demand, the company has decided to take Boeing 7777-2000 and Airbus A320 Neo on lease, the report added.

Boeing 777 will be leased from Delta Airlines in the US. It had phased out the 18 777 aircraft after the Covid-19 pandemic. It is expected to join Air India's fleet by October.

ET further stated that the Boeing 777 will be used to increase the flights on the India-US route as it is one of the most profitable routes. The long-range of the aircraft will allow the company to connect South Indian cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru to US west coast and Canada.

Airbus A320 Neo will be leased from the secondary market. It is expected to join Air India's fleet by 2023 and will be used primarily on domestic routes. 

Air India Express is also expanding its capacity by taking five Boeing 737 jets from its sister company, Vistara. In 2019, Vistara had taken nine 737 jets from Jet Airways on lease. While it has returned four of them, the lease period of the remaining five will be extended by Air India Express. 

Air India Express operates primarily in the middle-east. "The airline has decided for a nominal increase in capacity expansion, keeping in mind the upcoming heavy traffic season to Dubai and Qatar due to the FIFA World Cup," ET quoted a person aware of the matter as saying.

Tata Group's three airlines, Air India, AirAsia India, and Vistara currently hold a 24 per cent share in the Indian aviation market.