SpiceJet is set to take delivery of its 33rd aircraft, a Boeing 737, in the next few days. The aircraft introduction is part of expansion plan of the media mughal Kalanithi Maran-promoted airline.
The new aircraft is Boeing 737-800 which has a seating capacity of 189. The fleet expansion plan is along with Bombardier Q400. The airline has been fast expanding with a new fleet of the Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft from Bombardier, which can seat 78. The company had placed an order for 30 such aircraft.
Moreover, the company has decided to launch services on two new routes -- Delhi-Varanasi and Jaipur-Jammu -- from March 1 as part of its fast expansion into smaller towns. Further, the bookings for the Jaipur-Jammu and Delhi-Varanasi routes have already started. SpiceJet is the only airline that will be connecting Jaipur and Jammu.
SpiceJet has 16.5% market share as of January and it operates 270 flights a day connecting 32 domestic cities and two global destinations -- Kathmandu and Colombo.
For the December quarter, the carrier reported a loss of Rs 39.3 crore on the back of a 90% spike in fuel costs, but ruled out fare hike. The airline had a profit of Rs 94.44 crore, a year ago.
