Mcdonnell In Talks With Jet Air, Tatas For Aircraft Sale

It is also negotiating with Jet Airways and other private Indian airlines on the possibility of the sale or lease of this range of aircraft. The planes are priced on an average between $3 million and $4 million each.

These planes are the most environment friendly in the market today, said Donald V Black, vice-president of the MD sales & marketing department. The company is also set to enter into an agreement with the Tata Industries to source RADAR Domes (Radome) for MD-80 and MD-90s range planes.

It is also keen to source certain other components from India The agreement is expected to be signed in a couple of months, Black said. . For the MD-95 we will be outsourcing 50 per cent of the components, he said.

 

The MD-90s require less maintenance cost compared with its competitors, he added.

It is also in talks with the country's flag carrier Air India and the domestic airline Indian Airlines. Air India is very interested in the MD-11 Combi model, which is a combined passenger cum freight carrier, Black said.

It will be setting up a representative office in India in the coming year, said Willard C Varner, area vice-president, commercial marketing India.

But the company is yet to decide as to whether the office will be in Mumbai or Delhi.

The $3.5-billion net worth company now has 26 per cent of its total global business coming out of Asia. Varner feels that India will have a demand for 50 or more aircraft between now and at the turn of the century.