Aviation In India Booming

India's largest domestic carrier by market share plans to act on an option to buy 10 Boeing Co. 737 jet aircraft in a few months according to a New Delhi based airline official.
Jet Airways Ltd.  plans to convert an option to buy 10 Boeing Co. soon according to Dow Jones Newswires.

"I cannot specify a month, but it will be soon, in the next few months," said an unidentified executive.

Jet Airways received the option in October, when it placed an order for 20 Boeing 737-800 planes worth about $1.5 billion at list prices. Those are scheduled for delivery between 2012 and 2014. "The planes, which are under option, should be delivered by 2015," the executive said, adding that it is too early to decide on how the purchase will be funded. Jet Airways said earlier that the airline needs new aircraft to replace its aging fleet, and will receive new aircraft after 2012 to replace old planes.

Jet Airways--has ordered 74 Boeing aircraft so far--and has also placed an order for 10 Airbus A330-200 planes in April with an option to buy 10 more aircraft. Indian Airlines, a Jet Airways competitor ordered 43 Airbus aircraft worth $2.5 billion in 2006, as reported by ANN.

Air India was also told by its government ownership that it too can go ahead with plans to buy additional Boeing aircraft as part of its modernization and expansion plan.

FMI: www.jetairways.co, www.boeing.com