India’s Jet Airways temporarily suspended all operations on Wednesday after several months of struggles. As a result, low-cost carrier SpiceJet is making the most of the giant gap that was left by Jet. In recent days, SpiceJet has announced that it will add as many as 21 aircraft to its fleet in the near future.
What are the details?
According to SpiceJet’s press release, the airline will acquire an additional five Bombardier Q400 aircraft. with the first three due to be delivered within the next 10 days. The remaining two Q400s will join the airline’s fleet by June.
SpiceJet’s Q400s offer seating for 78 or 90 passengers, depending on the model. The airline has placed orders for up to 50 of the 90-seater version of the aircraft. To date, it has received five of them.
Furthermore, the airline has announced the induction of 16 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft, which will be dry-leased. SpiceJet is currently waiting for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to approve the import of the aircraft. If everything goes to plan, SpiceJet will start taking delivery of these aircraft within the next ten days.
According to Ajay Singh, the airlines Chairman and Managing Director, “As part of [SpiceJet’s] efforts to augment capacity and minimize passenger inconvenience, SpiceJet will induct five more Q400s in addition to the 16 B737s [the airline] announced last week. The sudden reduction of aviation capacity should in no way hamper air connectivity to the smaller towns and cities of India and as the country’s largest regional operator, SpiceJet will make all possible efforts in this direction.”
SpiceJet did not mention Jet Airways in its announcement, but it is pretty clear that the ‘sudden reduction of aviation capacity’ is due to the demise of Jet Airways. Apparently SpiceJet is willing and ready to expand its fleet and take advantage of this new opportunity.
Jet Airways
Jet Airways, India’s second largest airline, ceased operations the other day. Simple Flying reported that the airline was not able to obtain the necessary interim funding. Consequently, the airline could not even pay for fuel or other essential services. At this point, it had no other choice but to suspend operations.
Currently, it is not clear if investors will save Jet Airways. Nonetheless, the airline has not declared bankruptcy and is still hopeful that it will survive. Reportedly, there are a few potential investors that have shown interest.
It looks like Jet Airways’ aircraft will definitely stay grounded for a while, which is creating a perfect opportunity for SpiceJet.
How do you feel about SpiceJet utilizing the giant gap left by Jet Airways?
