Eyeing regional international markets, Jet Airways to add 75 narrow-bodied 737s

Jet Airways is in an expansion mode. After having recently announced new routes and added frequencies to Riyadh, London and Amsterdam, Naresh Goyal promoted airline is set to add 75 new aircrafts to bolster its reach and market share. Eyeing expansion in regional international routes, the airline is inducting narrow-bodied Boeing 737 Max – which is likely to be deployed on routes connecting Southeast Asia and the Middle-east. 

Decoding the rationale behind this serious augmentation of fleet, aviation experts believe that it is aimed at regaining its lost market share, as IndiGo, in the past few years, has been able to dislodge Jet Airways to claim the top spot. It is also important to note that IndiGo has been aggressively expanding its fleet and has placed an unprecedented order of 430 aircrafts through several agreements, forcing other players to take a re-look at their market strategies. With Vistara in the fray, Air Asia tapping new and untouched markets, many would argue that Jet’s expansion spree was not only necessary but long overdue.

Currently, Jet operates 112 aircrafts with 73 narrow-bodied Boeing-737, 18 wide-bodied aircrafts, deployed on long-haul international routes and 18 ATR turboprops to cater to regional connectivity in the domestic market. With additional 75 narrow-bodied aircrafts in the offing, Jet Airways will boast of around 200 aircrafts strong fleet and will be able to pose a stiffer challenge to its rivals.

Previously, in an e-mail response to Economic Times, a Jet Airways spokesperson confirmed the development, noting that strengthening the feet was an indication of healthy long-term prospects of the Indian aviation sector. “Reflecting its confidence in the long-term prospects of the Indian aviation sector, the airline is in the process of evaluating adding an equal number (75) narrow-body aircraft, a decision on which will be made over the coming few months,” the spokesperson said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *