SpiceJet finalises 20-aircraft lease deal, to fly 200 flights daily for winter, holiday season rush
SpiceJet is planning to expand operations ahead of the winter and holiday season, having recently announced it will add 20 aircraft to its fleet by mid-November. During this peak period, the budget airline headquartered in Gurgaon aims to increase connectivity and frequency, flying 200 flights a day, Hotelier Buzz reported.
SpiceJet’s Chief Business Officer Debojo Maharshi, according to Hotelier Buzz, said, “We are preparing for the winter season with a clear focus on adding capacity where our passengers need it most. The 20 aircraft we are bringing in will allow us to strengthen our network, add frequencies and offer more travel options during the peak season.”
He said that these aircraft will support SpiceJet’s operations through both the winter and summer peak travel periods, while helping bring greater stability to capacity and ease pressure on airfares. “Our aim is to reach around 200 daily flights this winter, while continuing to build our operations in a measured and sustainable manner.”
Aiming to strengthen and expand both domestic and international network operations, the added capacity will help stabilise the market and ease airfare pressures arising due to prevailing geopolitical tensions. As per the deal, the carrier has finalised lease agreements to induct 20 aircraft into its fleet between mid-October and mid-November, beginning with the Durga Puja period.
The aircraft, comprising 15 Boeing and five Airbus planes, will become a part of its fleet ahead of the winter schedule and the year-end holiday travel season. According to SpiceJet, the aircraft will be inducted under damp and wet lease arrangements.
Understanding damp and wet lease arrangements
A damp lease arrangement is one in which the lessor supplies the aircraft along with flight crew and maintenance support while the airline provides its own cabin crew. Meanwhile, a wet lease is an arrangement in which the lessor operates the aircraft with its own complete crew, insurance, and maintenance cover.
As part of the capacity expansion with five Airbus aircraft, the A321 variant will be inducted, offering a higher seating capacity than SpiceJet’s existing narrow-body fleet. According to the carrier’s official website, the existing fleet consists of “B737- MAX 8 aircraft, which are newly designed, state-of-the-art aircraft with the new fuel-efficient engines (CFM LEAP 1B). SpiceJet operates a fleet of Boeing and Q400 aircraft that enable greater maintenance efficiency and support its low-cost structure. The new-generation Boeing 737-700s, 737-800s and 737-900ERs with winglets.”
Hence, during the peak travel period, SpiceJet will be able to deploy more seats on high-demand routes. The airline further mentioned that the expanded fleet will support operations not only through the upcoming winter season but also into the following peak summer travel season.
A year ago, SpiceJet had introduced a similar sized expansion during the same period and had added 20 aircrafts to its fleet through a mix of damp-leased Boeing 737s, an Airbus A340 wide-body and reactivated grounded jets.
