Sunday, December 11 2005 10:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thrissur: The Union Cabinet's approval for purchase of 68 Boeing aircraft for Air India was expected in a day or two, the airlines' Chairman and Managing Director V Thulasidas said yesterday (Dec 10, 2005).

The total cost of the purchase of the new aircraft was estimated to be seven million US dollars, Thulsidas told reporters at Irinjalakkuda near here last evening.

The delivery of the first four aircraft would be made in a year followed by the rest by the end of 2007.

"With the acquisition of the new fleet, Air India would become one of the best airlines in the world," he said.

Four new aircraft would be added to Air India's fleet in February-March next.

Thulasidas said Air India now has 43 aircrafts and they were about 15 years old.

He said Air India was running profitably and it had paid dividend of 10 per cent for the fiscal ending March 2005.

Refuting charges that Air India provided only old aircraft in the Kerala-Gulf Sector, he said seven more new aircraft would be added to the budget carrier Air India Express over the existing three.

Thulasidas was on a visit to the Christ College, Irinjalakkuda, where he had served as a lecturer in the English Department in 1960s, to speak on 'development potential of Kerala' as part of the third inter-disciplinary lectures organised by the college.

He said Kerala has great potential for tourism and information technology sectors.