Air Asia is to add two A330 aircraft to its fleet in order to fly new routes in India.
Although the airline has yet to confirm which destinations the aircraft will be used for, Air Asia’s CEO Tony Fernandes confirmed at the Indian Aviation event in Hyderabad that “We will soon add two A330 planes to our existing fleet of six aircraft”.
“However, the 5/20 rule of the government of India is a hurdle for the growth of the sector,” Fernandes added.
Air Asia India is a three-way venture between AirAsia, Tatas and Arun Bhatia’s Telestra Tradeplace. The Malaysian airline is confident about its presence in India, following the posting of a profit in December 2015 and a positive forecast from the carrier’s CEO for 2016.
The airline is also looking forward to the removal of the 5/20 rule, which currently restricts airlines flying overseas once they have achieved five years of operational experience and a minimum of 20 aircraft (see news March 9).
Akanksha Maker
