NEW DELHI: In a bid to improve its dwindling market share and enhance capacity, public sector carrier Indian on Monday decided to lease six regional jets for its subsidiary, Alliance Air, and five Airbus A-320 aircraft to operate on its domestic and international routes.

With the induction of 70-seater regional jets, Alliance Air would service new routes, especially those which could be profitably operated upon by the over 100-seater A-320 family of aircraft in a "cost-competitive manner," Indian Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD), Vishwapati Trivedi, told reporters after a meeting of the airline's board here. The board gave an in-principle approval to these proposals.

The Requests for Proposal (RFP) documents would be issued "as soon as possible" so that these aircraft could be inducted by March 2007, Mr. Trivedi said. The regional jets (RJs) were to be acquired from either Embraer or Bombardier or any other leasing firm, he said.

The A-320 aircraft will be fitted with CFM engines. With a planned fleet of 50-seater ATRs, 70-seater RJs, 122-seater A-319s, 145-seater A-320s and 170-seater A-321 aircraft, Indian, together with Alliance Air, plans to cater to both high density and medium density routes on the domestic and international sectors in the near future. Also, the expansion of Indian's international network will happen when the two already leased, wide-body, twin-aisle A-330s arrive in June and October next year.

With the planned leasing and arrival of its own aircraft, the total fleet strength of the A-320 family of aircraft of Indian would go up to 64 by 2007-end, Mr. Trivedi said.

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