SpiceJet to operationalize 30 grounded planes, resume delivery talks with Boeing

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: Budget carrier SpiceJet Ltd. aims to operationalize 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, grounded due to reasons ranging from payment default to lessors and component shortages, in the next 12-15 months as it seeks to increase its operations.

Speaking at the company's annual general meeting on Monday, chairman and managing director Ajay Singh also hinted at resuming talks with aircraft manufacturer Boeing for pending deliveries. The airline had placed an order for 200 B737 MAX aircraft with the American company in 2017. Singh said, “We will restart our talks with Boeing, we received 13 aircraft, we will talk with the company to restart deliveries, hopefully we can do this in the upcoming months." India needs to have more airlines to prevent the market from becoming a duopoly, Singh said.

The airline aims to have a fleet of 100 aircraft by the end of 2026, from the current 28 operational aircraft. India's aviation market is dominated by IndiGo, the country's largest airline, and the Tata Group-owned Air India. Experts see SpiceJet’s announcement on ungrounding and restarting delivery talks with Boeing as a welcome step for the market.

Sanjay Lazar, CEO of Avialaz Consultants, said, “The announcement by the CMD is a bold move in the strangled Indian aviation market. The current duopoly needs to be challenged by both SpiceJet and Akasa and more newcomers. The addition of fresh capacity and accelerated deliveries by Boeing would mean a significant uptick in SpiceJet's flying portfolio.