LOW-COST international carrier air India Express will undergo a massive fleet enhancement programme over the next several months. Not only will it integrate the Airbus A320s of AirAsia India into its fleet but will also receive dozens of new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in a little over a year.
As part of its mega-aircraft order earlier this year, Air India signed a deal with Boeing for 190 737 MAX aircraft for its low-cost international subsidiary Air India Express. And according to the budget carrier's CEO, Aloke Singh, fifty of those planes will arrive in the next 15 months.
In a message to his employees, Mr Singh said: 'Over the next 15 months, a total of 50 new B737 MAX aircraft will join the LCC fleet, allowing us to grow our network to new destinations and increase flights on existing routes.'
Indeed, Air India Express recently received its first two 737 MAX planes that arrived from Boeing's delivery centre in Seattle. The two planes were originally part of fifty-five 737 MAXs meant for various Chinese carriers.
But as the type's delivery in China faced delays in the last few years, some of these planes were diverted to other airlines, including Air India Express, following discussions with Chinese airlines.
Mr Singh's message about the new MAX deliveries comes as AirAsia India also begins its process of transferring its Airbus A320 fleet to Air India Express. Earlier this month, the first of the carrier's A320 was formally included in Air India Express' fleet.
Air India Express currently has 28 Boeing 737 aircraft. Once AirAsia India transfers all its Airbus narrowbody planes, its combined fleet will have over fifty-five aircraft. Both airlines operate more than 2,500 weekly flights, flying to a network of more than forty destinations, including fourteen overseas locations, according to Montreal's Simply Flying.
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As part of its mega-aircraft order earlier this year, Air India signed a deal with Boeing for 190 737 MAX aircraft for its low-cost international subsidiary Air India Express. And according to the budget carrier's CEO, Aloke Singh, fifty of those planes will arrive in the next 15 months.
In a message to his employees, Mr Singh said: 'Over the next 15 months, a total of 50 new B737 MAX aircraft will join the LCC fleet, allowing us to grow our network to new destinations and increase flights on existing routes.'
Indeed, Air India Express recently received its first two 737 MAX planes that arrived from Boeing's delivery centre in Seattle. The two planes were originally part of fifty-five 737 MAXs meant for various Chinese carriers.
But as the type's delivery in China faced delays in the last few years, some of these planes were diverted to other airlines, including Air India Express, following discussions with Chinese airlines.
Mr Singh's message about the new MAX deliveries comes as AirAsia India also begins its process of transferring its Airbus A320 fleet to Air India Express. Earlier this month, the first of the carrier's A320 was formally included in Air India Express' fleet.
Air India Express currently has 28 Boeing 737 aircraft. Once AirAsia India transfers all its Airbus narrowbody planes, its combined fleet will have over fifty-five aircraft. Both airlines operate more than 2,500 weekly flights, flying to a network of more than forty destinations, including fourteen overseas locations, according to Montreal's Simply Flying.
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