Air India has inducted the first Airbus 320 neo plane into its fleet, and holds plans to take 13 more on lease this year. The A320 new (new engine option) plane comes with 163 seats, including 12 in the business class. The fuel efficient plane which has been taken on lease from Kuwait's ALAFCO, was formally inducted with the traditional water canon salute.
The airline will also look at using these planes for international operations, informed Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani. Air India's fleet now stands at 138 planes, and it has further plans to induct a total of 29 A320 neos by March 2019. Meanwhile, it has already tied up with three lessors- ALAFCO, GECAPS and CIT for 22 planes, the process to select a bidder for the remaining seven such planes is underway. The induction of the new fuel-efficient aircraft into its fleet is aimed at augmenting the capacity in the domestic market which is growing at a rate of over 20 per cent for nearly two years now.
European aviation major Airbus, maker of A320 neo, claims that these planes burn 15 per cent less fuel than the existing model.
