INDIA’S full-service carrier Vistara is considering renting long-haul aircraft to make up for delays in the delivery of Boeing planes, according to a media report.
It has placed orders for four Boeing 787s to expand its international operations, but the deliveries are delayed due to quality control concerns.
The airline, which began its operations in 2015, is reportedly holding negotiations with lessors as the travel industry is recovering from the prolonged pandemic shock.
Aircraft are available for lease, but Vistara is yet to make up its mind, the company’s chief executive Vinod Kannan told Reuters.
The company, co-owned by India’s Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, has a fleet of 50 aircraft and plans to have 20 more by the end of next year, but the soaring fuel prices have cast uncertainties on the aviation sector.
International flights account for 25 per cent of Vistara’s operations, connecting India with major European destinations like London and Paris.
Kannan said the airline intends to operate flights to the US, South Korea and Japan.
“A lot of the long haul depends on aircraft availability. This is the time to capitalise, especially with India opening up international travel,” he said.
As fuel prices surged, he previously said financial viability was an important factor in deciding on international operations.
“Fuel burn in longer flights when the fuel price is high is something that we have to account for, which may not have been as high before”, he had said last month.
