Kingfisher returns 19 leased aircraft
08 Oct 2009
Mumbai: Battling a industry-wide downturn, Kingfisher Airlines has returned 19 leased aircraft to lessors in the past 10 months. Airline sources said the aircraft have been returned as part of its planned capacity reduction programme.
According to DGCA data, of these, 16 are Airbus and three ATR turbo-prop aircraft.
The Director General of Civil Aviation publishes monthly data on registration, de-registration and change of ownership of aircraft.
The airline currently has a fleet of 71 planes, comprising Airbus A-319s, A-320s and A-321s as well as ATRs.
Falling passenger demand had forced Kingfisher to announce a 21 per cent reduction in its operations in February this year.
The airline has posted losses of Rs500 crore in the first quarter of the current fiscal and has an estimated accumulated debt of Rs 6,000 crore.
The airline has also deferred deliveries of some aircraft and moved 70 per cent of its network to single class low fare operations.