THE MINISTER OF CIVIL AVIATION (SHRI SHARAD YADAV)
(a),(b),(c),(d),(e) and (f): A statement is laid on the
Table of the Sabha.
STATEMENT IN REPLY TO PARTS (a),(b),(c),(d),(e) AND (f) OF
LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.275 FOR REPLY ON 07.12.2000
REGARDING REPLACEMENT OF AIRCRAFT.
(a),(b) and (c): The age profile of Airbus A-300 and Boeing
737 aircraft in the fleet of Indian Airlines as on
1.11.2000, is as follows:
Type No. of Aircraft Average age
Airbus A-300 09 21.3 years Boeing 737 11 19.2 years
Indian Airlines also has 02 Airbus A-300B2 aircraft
on lease whose average age is 16 years.
The age of the aircraft is one of the many criteria
for its replacement. The aircraft remain in operation so
long as they are maintained in airworthy condition as per
the maintenance procedures and norms prescribed by the
aircraft manufacturers and approved by the Director General
of Civil Aviation.
There is an economic design life of each aircraft
type after which the maintenance becomes exorbitant.
The economic design life of Boeing 737 aircraft type
has been estimated by the Boeing company at 75,000 cycles
(one landing and one take-off makes one cycle). Boeing
aircraft fleet of Indian Airlines has completed on an
average 50,000 cycles. Thus they are well within the norm
of economic design life.
The economic design life of Airbus A-300 aircraft is
48,000 cycles. On an average the fleet of Indian Airlines
has completed around 30,000 cycles, i.e. the fleet is well
within the economic design life
(d),(e) and (f): Indian Airlines has short and long term
plans to induct new aircraft in fleet. The short term
requirements are being met through dry lease of the aircraft
(5 Boeing 737 and 2 Airbus 320).
For its long-term aircraft requirements Indian
Airlines is presently carrying out a Techno-Economic Study
for identifying the type and the number of aircraft best
suited for its operational network. A Techno-Economic
evaluation for the acquisition of new aircraft is underway.
The requirement of aircraft has been estimated at 39 over a
period of 5 years. The total cost of the project is
estimated at Rs.9,000 crores.
