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Air-India to induct four aircraft by March 2002

As a significant step towards refurbishing its fleet, Air-India has decided to induct four more aircraft by March next year to replace the ageing ones.

The decision was taken at Air-India's board meeting in New Delhi in which it also gave a final shape to a new business plan and gave a go ahead to the arrangements for carrying over 21,000 Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia early next year.

The Board gave its nod to the airline, which has already inducted four Airbus 310-300 aircraft in the past few months, to proceed for dry-leasing of the fifth A 310-300 plane, A-I officials said Thursday.

The international flagship would also look at inducting the sixth, seventh and eighth aircraft on dry-lease to replace three A 300-B4 planes by March 2002, they said.

The phased out Boeing 747-200s and three A 300-B4s would be sold after the Haj movement was over in the first quarter of next year, the officials said.

One Boeing 747-200 aircraft would be sold after suitable alternative arrangements were made for VVIP operations, they said.

The officials said preliminary economic evaluation had indicated that it would be financially beneficial for Air-India to commence the process of rationalisation of aircraft type in its fleet by phasing out these aircraft and replacing them with dry-leased A 310-300s.

The airline had inducted four A 310-300s on dry lease, with two each from Singapore Airlines and leasing major, GECAS (GE Capital Aviation Services).

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