Indian start-up Kingfisher Airlines has requested preliminary information on widebody aircraft in the hope that it can convince the Indian government to reverse a directive banning new airlines from operating international services.
The new low-fare airline, which is owned by Indian brewing giant UB Group, plans to launch services on 9 May with a fleet of 174-seat Airbus A320s and has reviewed Airbus widebodies as a potential new acquisition in the longer term. It is also evaluating the A319 as a potential new model in the short term, with the A321 possibly following later.
Vice-president of maintenance and engineering Hitesh Patel says Kingfisher has reviewed information on the A330, A340, A350 and A380 - but not any Boeing widebodies - in case it is approved for international services. Kingfisher has not launched any tender for widebodies and will not do so unless it is free to operate internationally.
"We'll focus on domestic routes, but our eye is on international," Patel says. "We'll definitely put pressure on the Indian government to open the international market. There's a lot of cash-cow routes out of here and all the flights are full."
Late last year the Indian government opened up most international routes to private carriers that have been operating domestically for at least five years. The directive frees Air Sahara and Jet Airways to launch international services, starting with UK and South-East Asia this year. But it blocks new airlines such as Air Deccan, which launched in 2003, and Kingfisher from competing on international routes.
Patel says Kingfisher is interested in operating A320s to the Middle East and South-East Asia and also widebody aircraft to long-haul destinations in Europe and North America. Kingfisher's first four A320s are leased from Debis Airfinance, and it is taking 10 more direct from Airbus.
Source: Flight International
