Jet Airways to induct 24 aircraft over next 18 months

Mumbai: Jet Airways plans to add 24 aircraft over the next 18 months with a mix of short-haul and long-haul aircraft, according to reports. Of the 24 aircraft, 18 will be short-haul Boeing 737-800 and the remaining six will be the Airbus 330, Jet executives have been quoted as saying.

While the Boeing 737-800 aircraft are indicted primarily for domestic operations and short-haul international operations, the Airbus 330 is used for long-haul international operations.

Jet Airways, India's largest carrier by number of passengers carried, along with its fully-owned subsidiary JetLite, has 117 aircraft in its fleet and commands a market share of 25.4 per cent.

Jet has received clearances to fly to Rome and Amsterdam, in addition to the 24 international cities it already serves, and is waiting to commence direct services to the US. As of now, the airline flies to the US through its hub in Brussels.

Jet is also mulling plans to reinstate three of its Boeing 777 back into its fleet, which were on lease to the Turkish Airlines, once the lease period expires at the end of this year. However, the decision will hinge on the fuel price. The three aircraft were leased to Turkish with the onset of the global recession.

Airlines executives said the aircraft will be brought back only if crude prices remained below the $120 per barrel mark. If crude prices did not subside below this mark, induction of these aircraft would not make sense.

Jet is expected to end the current financial year in the black. It ended 2010 with a loss of Rs420 crore and the 2009 financial year with a loss of over Rs950 crore.