India's Kingfisher Airlines has delayed deliveries of 32 Airbus 320 medium-haul aircraft because of fierce competition in its home market and wider problems for the aviation industry.
Kingfisher head Vijay Mallya told the Financial Times today that 32 A320 planes scheduled for delivery in 2008-09 would come in 2010-12 instead and the airline would accordingly take only eight of the aircraft each this year and next.
Kingfisher is one of India's newest airlines, which operates an all-Airbus fleet.
Hit by soaring fuel prices, airlines around the world have been forced into cutting services in an effort to trim costs.
In 2005, Kingfisher, owned by Mallya's UB drinks group, ordered five A380s, the Airbus super-jumbo, with the first to be delivered in 2012.
Kingfisher launches its first international route - from India's high-tech hub in Bangalore to London - early next month and has ambitious plans to expand these services.
