Aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce on Tuesday said it has received an order from Air India for 68 Trent XWB-97 engines and there is also the option to supply 20 more such engines.
This is the biggest ever order for such engines, which exclusively powers the Airbus A350-1000, it said.
Air India has also ordered 12 Trent XWB-84 engines, the sole engine option for the Airbus A350-900, the engine maker said in a statement.
This is the first time that an Indian airline has ordered the Trent XWB and the deal will make Air India the largest operator of the Trent XWB-97 in the world, Rolls-Royce said without disclosing financial details of the order.
"Air India is the first Indian airline to order the Trent XWB and the size of the commitment, including options, will make them the biggest operator of the Trent XWB-97 in the world," Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce plc, said.
With a dynamic and growing aviation industry, India is a strategically important market for Rolls-Royce and "we look forward to working with Air India as they connect their passengers across global communities and cultures", he said.
According to the statement, the Trent XWB will support Tata Group and Air India's ambitious growth plans for the airline, providing reliability, flexibility and efficiency to its fleet as it takes on ultra-long-range routes between India and the US.
It also said the size of the Air India order reflects the increasing demand for air travel in India, which now has the third-biggest airline market in the world and is ranked as the fifth-largest economy globally.
Air India on Tuesday announced orders for 470 planes from Airbus and Boeing.
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