Kingfisher-Airbus deal for 50 aircraft

22 June, 2007:

Kingfisher Airlines has inked a deal with Airbus Industrie to purchase 50 aircraft at an estimated $7.3 billion.

The agreement which was stamped at the Paris Airshow which is currently on has on its agenda the acquisition of 15 A350-800 XWBs (extended wide-bodied), 10 A330-200s, five A340-500s and 20 aircraft from the A320 family, which includes the A-318s, A-319s, A-320s and A-321s. Notably, Kingfisher is so far the only Indian airline to have ordered the world's largest aircraft A-380 SAS. The five A-380s it has ordered are expected to be delivered in 2011-12, said a report.

Mallya feels that with the A340-500 and then the A350 XWB, Kingfisher will be able to offer direct routes. According to him, the A330 will allow Kingfisher to expand services to Europe, and the A320s will help in meet the home region demand. It has been reported that, with the 50 wide-bodied and single-aisle aircraft, Kingfisher plans to operate new long haul routes and expand the existing ones.

Meanwhile, Kingfisher has not yet been permitted by the government to operate globally as it has not completed the mandatory five years of domestic operations, though it satisfies the other condition for international operations of having a 20-aircraft fleet.

Both Kingfisher and its new low-cost partner, Air Deccan, now have a commitment for a total of 176 Airbus aircraft, covering single-aisle, wide-body including the A-380s and the Airbus corporate jet, added a report.