TruJet (TRJ, Hyderabad International) Chief Financial Officer, KG Vishwanath says the Indian regional specialist will wet-lease seven additional ATR turboprops by March 2019. TruJet currently operates three ATR72-500s and two -600s on scheduled flights to 14 cities across India's central and southern regions.

Speaking to The Hindu newspaper, Vishwanath said the use of wet-lease aircraft would allow TruJet to more rapidly expand its network. He did not specify from whom the aircraft, presumed ATR72s, would be leased but TruJet has been linked to talks with Jet Airways (JAI, Mumbai International) over its use of their unwanted ATR - Avions de Transport Régional fleet.

Chief executive Vishok Mansingh added that the extra capacity would allow TruJet to add 20 new destinations as a part of the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.

“Over the last three years we have established operations and are now looking to expand to new destinations as a part of the Government's efforts to provide regional connectivity to tier II and tier III cities,” he said. “We expect to add these cities in the Western and Eastern region of the country under the scheme which is designed to provide air connectivity to locations where there are no flights."

Among the new services to be launched include Ahmedabad to each of Kandla, Porbandar, Keshod, Jaisalmer, Jalgaon, and Nashik, and Guwahati to Burnpur, Cooch Behar, Tezu, and Rupsi.