On June 20, Air India finalized the deals to buy 250 planes from Airbus and 220 jets from Boeing.
Air India Acquiring Planes And Jets From Boeing
Interestingly, this deal comes into picture just Months after placing one of the largest orders in aviation history of 470 aircraft.
Earlier, the Tata group-owned carrier signed the purchase agreements with both the companies at the sidelines of the ongoing Paris Air Show.
Further, the airline said that the aircraft to be acquired are valued at $70 billion at list prices, in a release.
The chairman of Air India and its parent entity Tata Sons, N Chandrasekaran said, “This landmark step further positions Air India for long-term growth and success that, we have every hope, will come together to represent the best of modern aviation to the world.”
Air India has placed an order for 140 A320neo and 70 A321neo single-aisle aircraft as well as 34 A350-1000 and six A350-900 wide-body jets from Airbus which is the France-headquartered aerospace company.
During February 2023, the airline had signed a letter of intent to acquire these aircraft, along with the 220 planes from Boeing.
Similarly, the order from the US-based Boeing includes 190 737 MAXs, 20 787 Dreamliners and 10 777X jets, with the options to acquire 70 additional planes, including 50 737 MAXs and 20 787 Dreamliners.
So far, this is Boeing’s largest order in the South Asia region.
Air India Fleet Renewal and Expansion Programme
“Our ambitious fleet renewal and expansion programme will see Air India operate the most advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft across our route network within five years,” said Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson, who signed the purchase agreements with both the companies.
Later this year, we can witness the Airbus A350 leading the deliveries of the new aircraft with the bulk of the order to arrive from mid-2025 onwards.
In the meantime, Air India has already started taking delivery of 11 leased B777 and 25 A320 aircraft to accelerate its fleet and network expansion.
The President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stan Deal said, “The fuel-efficient mix of next-generation airplanes including the 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777X will sustainably power Air India’s future fleet in the world’s fastest growing commercial aviation market.”
The release also talks about Satair, an Airbus company, and Boeing Global Services supporting Air India with a broad range of solutions, including parts and maintenance provisioning, digital applications, and modification services.
According to the Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International at Airbus, Christian Scherer, “The Airbus services package is a perfect future-oriented choice that will form a core element of Air India’s transformation.”
