Before we get into what type of planes Jet Airways used to fly, let’s first take a look at the airline’s history and its current status. First operating as an air taxi service in 1992, India’s Jet Airways became an airline on January 14, 1995, entering into a marketing agreement with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines the same year.
A year later, Jet Airways placed an order with Boeing for four 737-400s and six 737-800s. Between 1996 and 1997, Jet Airways carried 2.4 million passengers and had a 20% market share, the second-highest for an Indian airline after state-owned Indian Airlines. Now operating with a fleet of 12 Boeing 737s, Jet Airways served 23 domestic destinations with 83 daily flights from its bases at the following airports:
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM)
- Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
- Kempegowda International Airport (BLR)
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU)
By 2001 Jet Airways had 30 planes
In the summer of 1999, while at the Paris Air Show, Jet Airways announced that it had placed a $550 million order with Boeing for ten 737-800s. By 2001 the airline’s fleet had grown to 30 planes, and Jet Airways was now flying to 37 domestic destinations within India. Like many airlines worldwide, the 2001-2002 financial year was hurt by the September 11th terrorist attacks in the USA, causing Jet Airways to have its first-ever yearly loss.
Etihad buys a 24% share of Jet Airways
By the third quarter of 2010, Jet Airways had grown to become India’s biggest airline with a 22. 6% market share. Three years later, Jet Airways sold a 24% stake in the airline to Abu Dhabi’s Etihad for $379 million and almost immediately entered into a price war with Spicejet and IndiGo.
In November 2018, Jet Airways announced it was having financial difficulties, and by 2019 a quarter of the airline’s fleet was grounded over unpaid leases. On June 17, 2019, Jet Airways entered bankruptcy. Following a successful bid from entrepreneur Murari Lal Jalan and asset management firm Kalrock Jet Airways expects to restart flight as early as the third quarter of 2022 with a fleet of six aircraft.
Jet Airways historic fleet
According to the aviation data and statistics website, ch-aviation Jet Airways historical fleet contained the following aircraft:
- 12 x Airbus A330-200s
- 4 x Airbus A330-300s
- 3 x Airbus A340-300s
- 23 x ATR72-500s
- 3 x ATR72-600s
- 13 x Boeing 737-400s
- 3 x Boeing 737-500s
- 16 x Boeing 737-700s
- 5 x Boeing 737-8s
- 81 x Boeing 737-800s
- 1 x Boeing 737-900s
- 4 x Boeing 737-900ERs
- 10 x Boeing 777-300ERs
Of these aircraft, the only planes that jet airways still have in their fleet are two Airbus A330-200s, two Boeing 737-800s, and one Boeing 737-900. All five of the planes are listed as being stored.
