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BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
22 July, 2005: Air India and Jet Airways has signed a short-term agreement for the wet-leasing of the latter’s
A340-300E aircraft, which would be used for operating daily flights between Mumbai and London.
Air India is proposing to use the wet-leased aircraft till July 27, 2005, and operate seven flights a week between Mumbai and London. Of the seven flights, the carrier intends to operate five non-stop flights between Mumbai’s Chhatrapati International Airport and Newark in London, while two flights would be diverted through Ahmedabad.
The operations of the flights are subject to both regulatory and governmental approvals of both India and US.
Air India proposes to begin the operations in the next couple of days. The flights would be operated with a two-class-configuration seating, which would include 38 business class and 231
economy class seating.
Jet Airways had taken the new A340-300E aircraft on lease from South African Airways with the intention of beginning its US operations. However, the airline's US operations had been delayed as the private carrier did not get regulatory approvals from US.
Jet Airways executive director Saroj Datta said that Jet Air hopes to receive approval shortly and it
will commence its US operations in the first half of August.
As per the agreement with Air India, Jet Airways would provide aircraft, cockpit and cabin crew and also undertake the maintenance of the plane. Air India would also take care of the in-flight caterings on these flights and operate them as its flights.
This agreement will enable Air
India to meet its short-term capacity requirements while helping Jet
Airways to utilise its spare capacity.
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
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