Air India finalises order with Airbus, Boeing for 470 planes

Senior Air India officials, including chairman N Chandrasekaran and CEO Campbell Wilson, at the signing of the agreement with Boeing officials

Months after placing one of the largest orders in aviation history of 470 aircraft, Air India on June 20 finalised the deals to buy 250 planes from Airbus and 220 jets from Boeing.

The Tata group-owned carrier signed the purchase agreements with both the companies at sidelines of the ongoing Paris Air Show. The aircraft to be acquired are valued at $70 billion at list prices, the airline said in a release.

"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," said N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Air India and its parent entity Tata Sons.

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From Airbus, the France-headquartered aerospace company, 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. The airline had signed a letter of intent to acquire these aircraft, along with the 220 planes from Boeing, in February 2023.

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. This is Boeing's largest order in South Asia region.

Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson, who signed the purchase agreements with both the companies, said, "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."

The Airbus A350 will lead the deliveries of the new aircraft later this year, with the bulk of the order to arrive from mid-2025 onwards.

Air India has already started taking delivery of 11 leased B777 and 25 A320 aircraft to accelerate its fleet and network expansion.

“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,” said Stan Deal, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Satair, an Airbus company, and Boeing Global Services will support Air India with a broad range of solutions, including parts and maintenance provisioning, digital applications, and modification services, the release noted.

The Airbus services package is a perfect future-oriented choice that will form a core element of Air India’s transformation,” added Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International at Airbus.