Air Transport

Indian budget airline SpiceJet is to order 10 more Boeing 737s, including five of the extra seat capacity 737-900ER.

The airline announced during a press conference at Asian Aerospace in Singapore today that it has agreed to convert its 10 existing 737-800 options into firm orders. This will cover five more 737-800s and its first five 737-900ERs.

It has also placed options on 10 more 737-800s, which again can be switched to the -900ER. Deliveries of the newly ordered aircraft will begin in October 2007 with two 737-900ERs. The remaining aircraft will follow in 2008 and 2009.

SpiceJet, which launched services in May last year, ordered 10 737-800s at the Bangalore Air Show in February 2005 and earlier this month took delivery of its first purchased 737-800 from the manufacturer (pictured below). It already operates five other leased 737-800s.

GRAHAM DUNN / SINGAPORE