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Kingfisher to acquire 30 aircraft from Airbus

After a multi-million dollar deal to purchase 20 turbo-prop aircraft, liquor baron Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines on Monday placed a US$1.9 billion deal to acquire 30 A-319 and A-320 aircraft from European manufacturer Airbus Industrie.

Aiming at becoming an important player in the Indian aviation scene in a short span of time, the private carrier placed the massive orders at the ongoing Dubai Air Show.

The six-month old airline already flies seven A-320s and has three A-319s on order which are due to delivery by next month.

"We have had a wonderful start to our A-320 services within India ... and when you like a product, you go out and buy more, which is what we are doing today with our additional Airbus order," said Mallya, chairman of the UB Group which owns the airline, after signing the deal.

The acquisition of 30 Airbus planes means that Kingfisher would have a fleet totaling more than 40 planes. It claims to have taken a 6% share of the domestic market in just six months of its operations.

The new A-319s and A-320s would be delivered from early 2008 and would be powered by International Aero Engines V2500s, like its existing fleet.

Mallya had signed another mega deal for 20 turbo-prop ATR 72-500 planes at a cost of $350 million from French manufacturer on the opening day of the airshow.

The ATR 72-500 aircraft would begin its delivery on March 2006 and the last of the 20 planes would be handed over to Kingfisher Airlines by 2008, according to an ATR official. Kingfisher has given ATR company the option of acquiring another 15 of these planes.

( www.atimes.com)

 

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