Air India and SpiceJet boost fleet amid high year-end demand

During the festive season and the approaching year-end rush in passenger traffic, both Air India and SpiceJet are scaling up their capacities to meet the high demand.CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing, revealed the delivery of the first batch of six Airbus A320neo aircraft to Air India. Concurrently, SpiceJet added five leased Boeing 737s to its fleet, including three 737 MAX aircraft, showcasing the airline's commitment to expanding and diversifying its flight services, as mentioned in their statement.This development follows SpiceJet's recent introduction of three leased Boeing 737s, including one 737 MAX, emphasising the airline's determination to broaden its services. Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India and Chairman of Air India Express, had stated in October that the Air India Group plans to acquire one new aircraft every six days on average until the end of 2024.Despite a 10% increase in airlines' capacity deployment in September 2023 compared to September 2022, the capacity remained 0.5% lower than pre-Covid levels, according to a report by ICRA. This growth has been hindered by ongoing supply chain and manufacturing challenges, impacting aircraft manufacturers' delivery schedules. Boeing, for instance, announced on October 25 that it would adjust its delivery goal for Boeing 737 (MAX) aircraft, aiming to deliver 375-400 planes in 2023, down from the earlier target of 400-450 airplanes, due to these challenges.