Kingfisher, Air Deccan to revise fleet purchase plans: Mallya
Vancouver, June 6 (PTI): Days after acquiring control of Air Deccan, Kingfisher Airlines Chairman Vijay Mallya is now looking at rationalising the fleet of the two carriers and considering changes in the total fleet order of 90 aircraft.
"We are considering swapping or switching the orders" placed by the two airlines before his UB Group bought 26 per cent stake in the low-cost carrier, Mallya told PTI on the sidelines of the Annual General Meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) here.
The UB Group will soon be launching an open offer to buy another 20 per cent stake in Deccan Aviation Ltd that operates Air Deccan.
He said both Kingfisher and Air Deccan would "revisit their fleet plans" in coordination with each other to rationalise the fleet structure.
To questions on the future of Air Deccan, which is currently bearing big losses, he said: "Air Deccan will be profitable, gung ho".
Both the airlines have already placed orders from the European aircraft major, Airbus Industrie, for about 90 aircraft. These include five of the largest aircraft - A380, the first of which is slated to be delivered to Kingfisher by 2011.
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