Star Air chief executive officer Simran Singh Tiwana
| Photo Credit:
cueapi
Star Air is on track to induct two Embraer E190 aircraft to serve high demand routes, airline’s chief executive officer Simran Singh Tiwana has said.Currently, Star Air operates eight Embraer E175 aircraft that have 76-88 seats. The E190s will have 108 seats and thus will be the largest in its fleet.While industry sources said that Star Air has temporarily deferred the aircraft induction due to rising fuel costs, Singh said the plan remains on schedule.“The induction timelines remain aligned with our planned fleet expansion strategy and preparations for the aircraft entry into service are progressing as scheduled,” he said. Star Air holds a scheduled commuter air transport permit and operates 35-40 flights daily connecting tier II and III cities within the country under the regional connectivity scheme.The scheduled commuter permit allows airlines to operate aircraft that have a maximum take off weight of upto 40 tonne. The E190 has a maximum take off weight of over 51 tonne and can be flown by airlines that hold scheduled air transport permit.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has granted Star Air an exemption to import and induct E190 aircraft as it prepares to obtain a scheduled air transport permit, it is learnt.Tiwana did not comment on the exemption. The civil aviation ministry too did not respond to a query on the topic.Encouraging demandWhile fare hikes have impacted discretionary travel, Tiwana said passenger overall response remains resilient.“At Star Air we continue to see encouraging demand across our network particularly in regional markets where air connectivity significantly reduces travel time and improves accessibility,” Tiwana said.He added that the airline continuously evaluates route performance, market demand and aircraft deployment to ensure efficient utilisation of its resources.Published on June 8, 2026
