IndiGo to add 14 new aircraft in 2011-12

Low-cost carrier IndiGo on Wednesday said it will add 14 new Airbus A320 aircraft in its existing fleet of 38 in 2011-12 as it gets ready to launch its international operations in August-September.

"We will increase our fleet by adding 14 new aircrafts during the next fiscal. With that, we will have a fleet of 52 aircraft," IndiGo's Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Sanjay Kumar told PTI.

Asked about the launch of international operations of the no-frills carrier, Kumar said the airline plans to launch direct flights to Middle East and Southeast Asian destinations from August-September, when it completes the mandatory five years of operations. "We are working on a plan... Initially we plan to launch direct flights to Dubai, Muscat, Singapore, Bangkok and Kathmandu from Delhi and Mumbai," Kumar said.

The second largest domestic airline had got the government's approval last year to launch its international operations.

As part of its strategy to enhance its presence in the Central India, the low-cost carrier today also announced the launch of four new direct flights connecting Indore to Delhi, Bengaluru, Srinagar and Nagpur starting from April 2.

This will be the 26th destination for the airline, Kumar said, adding "with the high quality of our service at prices that are always affordable, we are sure that we will meet the increasing demand for air travel to and from Indore".

Recently, it added Raipur as its destination as well. The no-frills carrier has also inducted 38 aircrafts in its fleet, which consists of all Airbus A320, he said.

Besides, the airline aims to recruit about 1,500 personnel due to its increased operations, the IndiGo CCO added.