New Delhi: India's newest airline, low-cost domestic carrier IndiGo, said on Monday it would begin commercial operations later this week and aimed to fly nearly half-a-million passengers over the next five months.
IndiGo became European aircraft-maker Airbus's largest Indian customer in June 2005 when it placed firm orders for 100 Airbus A320 jets, worth about $6 billion at list prices.
The first plane was delivered on Friday, and officials said the first flight would take off on Aug 4.
The privately-held airline will add a new A320-232 every month this year, and then another nine aircraft next year. Its 100th plane is expected to be delivered in 2016.
"This market is far from mature so there is plenty of room to grow," said IndiGo's President and CEO Bruce Ashby, adding the carrier planned to fly about 6.7 million passengers by the end of 2008.
"Demand is huge in India we are bullish. There is room for a lot more planes," Ashby, a former US Airways Group Inc. executive vice president, said when asked if the nascent Indian aviation market could handle another airline.
British engine maker Rolls-Royce Plc said in October last year that International Aero Engines, in which it is a senior shareholder, had won its biggest ever order with $600 million of business from a V2500 engine order by IndiGo.
Comments
0 comment