The Hindu : Business : Air India looking for leasing more aircraft: Thulasidas

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Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
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Air India looking for leasing more aircraft: Thulasidas

Special Correspondent

The airline will join Star Alliance in 12 to 18 months

— PHOTO: PTI

BUYING SPREE: V. Thulasidas (second from left), Chairman and Managing Director, Air India, with D. S. Kohli (left), Executive Director, Northern Region, J. Bhargava (second from right), Head, Corporate Communications, and D. Brara, Executive Director, Sales and Marketing, at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: As Air India embarks on its expansion plan and phased induction of new aircraft in its fleet, the airline will need another 10 to 15 aircraft till 2011 to cater to the growing demand.

“We will need to add capacity to our current fleet as we are likely to get deliveries of the already ordered new planes by 2011. We will need to lease 10 to 15 aircraft to meet the demand of expanding network and replacing old planes.

We are in touch with some leasing companies and asked them to give us offers for leasing new aircraft,” Air India Chairman and Managing Director V. Thulasidas told reporters.

On AI joining global Star Alliance, Mr. Thulasidas said it would take another 12 to 18 months for formally joining the alliance. Asked about the integration process between Air India and Indian Airlines, he said the most complex area was IT integration though the entire process was well within the schedule and was expected to be completed in another 24 months, well before the target date.

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