Air India announces a historic order for 470 Boeing and Airbus commercial jets
India’s flag carrier, Air India has announced a huge order for 470 jet aircraft estimated to be worth over $70 billion. From the American company Boeing, the order totals 220 planes, and from the European giant Airbus, Air India has ordered 250 jets.
This historic order comes at a time of development and modernization for Air India under its new parent company, Tata Group, which acquired it in October 2021. Thus the entire face of the company will change after the delivery of these aircraft, new routes will open up both domestic and especially new international routes, with Air India having every chance to become “a world-class global airline with an Indian heart”, as Stan Deal, SEO and President of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, has said.
The Boeing order
Air India’s firm order for the American company Boeing totals 220 aircraft worth an estimated $34 billion. Of these 190 will be Boeing 737 MAX (including 737-8 and 737-10), 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777X planes. On top of this, Air India has secured the option to purchase a further 70 Boeing aircraft (50 737 MAX, and 20 787s), increasing the value of the entire order for Boeing to $46 billion.
President Biden gave a statement on the order, saying the partnership will bring a huge benefit to Americans, providing more than one million jobs in over 44 states.
The Airbus order
The Airbus order will bring 250 new aircraft to Air India’s fleet, worth $34 billion at market value. Of these, 140 planes will be A320neo, 70 321neo, and 34 A350-1000 and A350-900. The order is expected to be honored with the first A350-900 by the end of 2023, according to Airbus. The A350 aircraft will also be the first wide-body aircraft in the Indian airline market.
The Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, Christian Scherer made a statement on this partnership: “This is a historic moment for Airbus and for Air India. India is on the verge of an international air travel revolution and we are honoured that our partnership with the Tatas and our aircraft solutions will write that new chapter for the country’s air-connectivity”.
