The season for Hajj flights is in full swing, with airlines adding capability and even inducting latest planes temporarily to fulfill demand. SpiceJet, like other Indian carriers, has also been carrying pilgrims to Saudi Arabia and has wet-leased two widebody planes to cater to the seasonal demand.
SpiceJet wet-leases two Airbus A340 planes
Indian budget carrier SpiceJet has inducted two Airbus A340 aircraft to fulfill seasonal demand for Hajj travel from India. The airline began these special flights on June seventh and can operate out of 5 cities in India – Bhopal, Gaya, Vijayawada, Aurangabad, and Srinagar.
Airlines are allocated a quota of Hajj flights yearly, and SpiceJet plans to operate 200 of those flights, carrying around 21,000 pilgrims. The primary phase of the flight began on June seventh and can last until June twenty second. The second phase of return flights will begin on July seventeenth and last until August 2nd. Considered one of the planes in Legend Airlines’ livery (YR-LRC) has been spotted landing in Ras al Khaymah.
The 2 wet-leased A340s will give the airline much-needed capability for these seasonal flights alongside a few of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, that are also getting used to hold pilgrims. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of SpiceJet, commented,
Not the primary time
SpiceJet isn’t latest to operating Hajj flights and even widebody planes. Last 12 months, it was, the truth is, the one Indian airline to operate Hajj flights out of India. And while the airline is using widebody capability this 12 months for these flights, it has also operated larger planes previously.
During COVID, when airlines were forced to bring down the variety of passenger flights, SpiceJet pivoted its business strategy and wet-leased an A340 for cargo operations. In August 2020, the carrier flew its first long-haul cargo flight from India between Delhi and Frankfurt, carrying 45 tonnes of supplies. The widebody was a part of SpiceXpress, the carrier’s freighter arm.
Over the subsequent few months, the airline inducted a couple of more A340s and carried out cargo operations to destinations including Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and even Khartoum, Sudan.
Fleet expansion
While the A340s will allow SpiceJet to accommodate more passengers for Hajj flights, it’s going to need more aircraft for the long run to enhance its market share and overall business in the approaching months. The airline has been operating with reduced capability for quite some time now, but all that can change because it embarks on a fleet expansion mission.
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The airline has signed a lease agreement for ten additional Boeing 737s, with deliveries starting in September this 12 months. A full breakdown of the 737 variants that make up the deal isn’t yet known, however it is believed that at the very least five of the ten aircraft could be 737 MAXs. The airline can be working to bring back several of its grounded aircraft in time to serve the height season in India towards the tip of the 12 months.
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