Pak's Airblue to buy Airbus aircraft worth USD 910 millions
Islamabad (PTI): Airblue, Pakistan's most popular private airline, has placed an order with Airbus for 14 A320-200 aircraft worth USD 910 million.
"This is the largest ever order for outright purchase of brand new aircraft by any Pakistani private sector carrier," Airblue's Chief Operating Officer Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said.
The formal agreement for the purchase of the aircraft was signed between Airbus and Airblue on November 13 in the Dubai Air Show.
Abbasi said the first aircraft would be handed over in July 2009 and thereafter one aircraft would be given every three months to complete the delivery of all the aircraft by the end of 2012.
Airblue, which began operations in 2004, is reviewing other aircraft requirements and is looking into the acquisition of four to eight modern planes for long-haul routes based on the market situation during the next 24 months, he said.
The airline is one of Pakistan's two private carriers. It currently flies to seven domestic destinations and operates three flights to Dubai in the UAE and Manchester in Britain. Airblue currently operates three A320s and three A321 aircraft, all on dry lease.
Abbasi said Airblue's flights from Islamabad to Manchester have proved "a roaring success". The seat occupancy on both sectors has been 100 per cent. The flights to Dubai are also doing good business, he said, adding Airblue is interested in acquiring three aircrafts on lease by June next year to expand its international network.
Once the new aircrafts are inducted in its fleet, Airblue will expand operations to destinations Europe, Middle East, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand, he said.
Business
