INDIAN low-cost carrier (LCC) SpiceJet will purchase 60 new aircraft to support its aggressive expansion into domestic and international markets.
The airline is expected to sign a contract with Bombardier to buy 30 Q400 NextGen turboprop aircraft by month-end. Delivery will begin in June 2011.
CEO Neil Mills said: "We are looking at an aggressive addition to our fleet to double it by end-2013 from the current 22 aircraft."
He added that the company would deploy the new aircraft for tier-two and tier-three cities in India. The carrier, which launched its first international flights to Nepal and Sri Lanka in October, had also previously placed an order for 30 Boeing next-generation 737-800s, with deliveries commencing from 2014.
India's aviation industry is growing at a fast pace after its recovery from the global economic slowdown. From January to September, domestic airlines carried a total of 37.32 million passengers, a growth of 18.5 per cent compared to 31.49 million in the corresponding period last year.