Kingfisher reviews Airbus order
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Kingfisher is rumoured to be reconsidering its purchase order with airbus for long-haul aircraft.
The airline is re-evaluating its purchase plan of A380s and A350s, preferring smaller planes like A320s and A330s instead.
The development comes in the wake of the airline’s acceptance to Oneworld Alliance.
Back in 2005, Kingfisher became the first Indian airline to order five A380 aircraft initially set for delivery this year before the carrier rescheduled delivery for 2014.
According to a Business Standard report, the airline also ordered five A350 ultra long-haul aircraft in 2005 and the deliveries of these aircraft were to start from 2015.
However given its recent membership to Oneworld Alliance, Kingfisher now has access to numerous codesharing opportunities which has caused it to rethink its purchase plan, focusing instead on short-haul destinations.
No hard decision has yet been taken and Airbus has not yet been approached on the matter.
With IndiGo set to overtake it as the county’s second largest carrier in terms of passenger volume and storm the international market following a mammoth aircraft order, Kingfisher has elected to consolidate its position in the domestic market by reallocating resources to cater for regional and domestic routes.
“Our focus is more on increasing our domestic presence and network.
Also, our domestic passenger numbers are set to increase after we join the One World Alliance by the end of this calendar year,” Kingfisher Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Sanjay Aggarwal, told the Business Standard.
Kingfisher Airlines has decided to double its fleet size, from 66 to 137 aircraft by 2015-16. In the next financial year, Kingfisher plans to add nine more aircraft.
The order includes six A320s, two A330s and one ATR. The carrier plans to add 14 aircraft in 2012-13, 20 in 2013-14, 16 in 2014-15 and 13 in 2015-16.
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