India gifts three planes to Ariana
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India gifts three planes to Ariana
Excerpts from the report on THE HINDU of 08may
The Indian Civil Aviation ministry has gifted three Air India Airbus-300-B4 aircraft to Ariana Afghan Airlines as part of a reconstruction package to Afghanistan.
The aircraft, which were operating on the India Gulf route, were going to be sold to Indian Airlines. They will now be replaced with Airbus-310s that the Maharaja will hire on lease later this month.
The $7-million gift was pledged by the Indian minister for Cvil Aviation, Mr Shahnawaz Hussain, to the visting Afghan minister for Civil Aviation, Zalmai Rasool, here today.The Afghan team will vist Mumbai tomorrow to inspect the planes.
Mr Rasool said the 265 seater airplanes would be operated to European destinations including London,Frankfurt and Paris. There are also plans to open new destinations such as Tashkant,Teheran and possibly, Islamabad.
None of the Indian carriers is yet flying to Afghanistan. Mr Hussain said that talks were on with China for use of its airspace and if succesful, west bound Indian carriers would avoid the Pakistan airspace permanently and fly over Leh and China.
At present, Ariana operates between Kabul and Delhi, Kabul and Dubai,Sharjah through its two 120 seater Boeing 727 aircraft.
Besides the three Airbus aircraft, Air India will "lease"a team of 12 pilots,instructors and trainers to Ariana for training their pilots.After the initial three months training, the Afghan airline will sigin in some retired pilots from Indian Airlines or Air India to be present in the cockpit for "the cockpit to be safe".
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Cheers
RSO
The Indian Civil Aviation ministry has gifted three Air India Airbus-300-B4 aircraft to Ariana Afghan Airlines as part of a reconstruction package to Afghanistan.
The aircraft, which were operating on the India Gulf route, were going to be sold to Indian Airlines. They will now be replaced with Airbus-310s that the Maharaja will hire on lease later this month.
The $7-million gift was pledged by the Indian minister for Cvil Aviation, Mr Shahnawaz Hussain, to the visting Afghan minister for Civil Aviation, Zalmai Rasool, here today.The Afghan team will vist Mumbai tomorrow to inspect the planes.
Mr Rasool said the 265 seater airplanes would be operated to European destinations including London,Frankfurt and Paris. There are also plans to open new destinations such as Tashkant,Teheran and possibly, Islamabad.
None of the Indian carriers is yet flying to Afghanistan. Mr Hussain said that talks were on with China for use of its airspace and if succesful, west bound Indian carriers would avoid the Pakistan airspace permanently and fly over Leh and China.
At present, Ariana operates between Kabul and Delhi, Kabul and Dubai,Sharjah through its two 120 seater Boeing 727 aircraft.
Besides the three Airbus aircraft, Air India will "lease"a team of 12 pilots,instructors and trainers to Ariana for training their pilots.After the initial three months training, the Afghan airline will sigin in some retired pilots from Indian Airlines or Air India to be present in the cockpit for "the cockpit to be safe".
***********
Cheers
RSO
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Ronnie
Air India has been stuck with its own 300s which they were trying to get rid of for some time since they had just the 3 of them and all their other a/cft were 747s or 310s. Indian Airlines has its own separate 300 fleet (one of which rammed into an airport wall at DEL as reported here sometime back).I dont think Indian Airlines will be too unhappy at having its "gift" snatched away and given to somebody else as these aircraft appear to be quite old.
Cheers
RSO
Air India has been stuck with its own 300s which they were trying to get rid of for some time since they had just the 3 of them and all their other a/cft were 747s or 310s. Indian Airlines has its own separate 300 fleet (one of which rammed into an airport wall at DEL as reported here sometime back).I dont think Indian Airlines will be too unhappy at having its "gift" snatched away and given to somebody else as these aircraft appear to be quite old.
Cheers
RSO
