Tata SIA Airlines (Delhi International) has set September 1 as its provisional launch date with plans to operate nine routes in its first year of operations. The Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) subsidiary stated in its application for an Air Operator's Permit to the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that it would serve Mumbai International, Goa Dabolim, Hyderabad International, Ahmedabad, Srinagar, Jammu, Patna and Chandigarh from its Delhi International hub initially.
Thereafter, in its second year it will add a further six routes to Chennai, Lucknow, Pune, Varanasi, Kolkata, and Guwahati, while in its third and fourth year, Amritsar, Indore, and Kochi International will be added.
Additional hubs will also be established as and when capacity demands it.
Regarding its fleeting plans, the start-up will dry-lease A320ceo and A320neo aircraft from Dublin-based Wilmington Trust SP Services (not in its individual capacity but solely as a trustee). The duration of the lease agreement is 6 years for the A320ceo and 12 years for the A320neos.
“Tata SIA proposes to engage initially domestic and eventually international full service scheduled passenger airline services in the civil aviation sector in India to undertake ancillary activities related to airline services including but not limited to air transport carriers (of freight), cargo handling incidental to air transport, renting and leasing (except financial leasing) of aircraft and other services incidental to air transport services,” the airline said in its filing.
The new company is a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, with Tata Sons Ltd holding a 51% controlling stake and the Singaporeans owning the remaining 49%.
