SpiceJet aims to double its passengers in 2008

23 May, 2007: Adding five extended range (ER) jets to its fleet of 11 aircraft, low-cost carrier SpiceJet targets to double its passengers to six million in the next year.

As it enters yet another year of its operations, the airline has made public a series of promotional measures. The measures include an offer of 200,000 seats at just 99 paise, a domestic travel insurance policy at a premium of Rs 129, and the sale of food on board flights of more than 90 minutes duration, a report said. It also hopes that during the April-June quarter, it will be the first low cost carrier to come out of the red and even show profits, the report added.

Besides, the airline is awaiting the government decision relaxing the norms on international operations. As and when the norms are relaxed, the airline is also mulling over flying to destinations in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The airline, which currently operates 64 flights to 14 destinations, hopes to add six new ones during the year and increase the number of flights to 150 per day. SpiceJet, which claims to have carried 1.5 million passengers in its first year, doubled that in the second and are now aiming at carrying six million passengers in the third year.

According to an official, with fares 40 percent lower that full service carriers, SpiceJet earns an average of Rs 2,500 from each passenger that translates into a profit of Rs 2.20 per seat sold.

It may be recalled that the airline had started out with just one aircraft. It has grown its fleet to the current 11 and will be adding five brand new Boeing 737-900ERs this year alone. The airline hopes to take the number to 26 aircraft by March 2009 and to 35 by 2011, the report quoting an official said.