Mumbai: Budget carrier SpiceJet said it will dry lease six more Boeing 737 planes, and roll out of 24 daily new flights connecting Mumbai and Delhi as it seeks to encash void left by the temporary grounding of Jet Airways. The move comes close on the heels of the airline announcing expansion the fleet by 21 more planes-16 B737s and five turboprop Boombardier Q400s, besides connecting Mumbai with a host of international destinations. Mumbai was one of the two main bases of Jet Airways, before it halted operations.
“SpiceJet will induct six more Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft on dry lease and it has applied to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for a NOC to import these planes,” the airline said in a statement. Subject to regulatory approvals the aircraft would begin joining SpiceJets fleet in the next ten days. The total number of planes to be inducted in the immediate future now stands at 27, the airline said.
“We will induct as many as 27 planes in a record time of less than two weeks and are hopeful that these inductions will help considerably ease the pressure situation,” SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said. SpiceJet continues to work closely with the government and regulatory authorities to help minimise passenger inconvenience, he added.
The airline also announced the launch of 24 new daily flights connecting Mumbai and Delhi with other cities on its domestic network. Of these, 16 will connect Mumbai, 4 will connect Delhi while the rest will connect the two metros with each other. The new flights from Mumbai include services to Jaipur, Patna, Bagdogra, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Kolkata and Mangaluru.
