NEW DELHI: Budget carrier SpiceJet said on Friday it will induct 16 new aircraft on lease which could be deployed in ten days, subject to regulatory approvals.
The move comes at a time when airlines capacity has reduced in recent weeks due to a host of events including the grounding of controversial Boeing 737 Max aircraft and Jet Airways (India) Ltd's capacity reduction due to liquidity crunch.
Airlines adding new planes quickly to the fleet could help bridge the capacity gap in the industry and keep ticket prices stable.
SpiceJet said it is inducting Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft on dry lease and has applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for clearance to import the aircraft.
“This is the first lot of Boeing 737s that we are inducting in our fleet. The sudden reduction of aviation capacity has created a challenging environment in the sector. SpiceJet is committed to working closely with the government authorities to augment capacity and minimize passenger inconvenience," a company statement said quoting chairman and managing director of SpiceJet Ajay Singh.
Struggling carrier Jet Airways had on Thursday grounded ten more planes due to non-payment of dues to aircraft lessors, bringing down operations to about 70 flights a day from more than 600 it used to operate before the liquidity crisis hit the company, according to a person familiar with the company's operations.
SpiceJet's new inductions will also help it's international and domestic expansion plans, the statement said.
The airline now operates about 516 daily flights on average to 60 destinations, including 51 domestic and 9 international ones, with a fleet of 78 aircraft that includes Boeing 737 and 27 Bombardier Q-400s.
