Indian aviation
Air India, the former state-owned Indian carrier now owned by the Indian conglomerate Tata, is reportedly in talks to add more aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing, according to Reuters, a global news agency.
The airline plans to purchase up to 300 aircraft, according to people familiar with the development, who told the global news agency. The order could include 80 to 100 wide-body planes, such as the Boeing 787, Boeing 777, or the Airbus A350.
There was, however, no confirmation on this news from any of the parties said to be involved in the negotiations. The news report quoted Airbus as saying that “it does not comment on confidential discussions with customers,” while both Air India and Boeing did not respond for comments.
It was also unclear how many of the 300 aircraft Air India plans to order will be firm orders and how many will be options converted from previous orders. Globally, airlines place firm orders for aircraft delivery from Airbus and Boeing, with the option to order additional aircraft as the delivery date approaches. This is because now getting aircraft is becoming a problem globally.
India is at the forefront of global aircraft orders
In June 2023, IndiGo placed a record-breaking order for 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft, making it the largest single order in commercial aviation history. The order includes a mix of A320neo, A321neo, and A321XLR aircraft, with deliveries scheduled between 2030 and 2035. This massive order is intended to secure a steady supply of new planes for the next decade and support the airline’s long-term growth, including its plans for expanding its international network.
A few days later, Air India signed up with Boeing, and Airbus signed purchase agreements to acquire 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, going one step further in its $70 billion (based on list prices) fleet expansion program that it announced in February this year.
Air India’s firm orders include 34 A350-1000, six A350-900, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and 10 Boeing 777X widebody aircraft, as well as 140 Airbus A320neo, 70 Airbus A321neo, and 190 Boeing 737 MAX narrowbody aircraft.
At that time, then-US President Joe Biden had said, “This (Air Indian’s aircraft order) purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree.”
In November 2021, at the Dubai Air Show, Akasa Air placed its maiden order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. It followed that with an order for 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, consisting of 100 MAX 10s and 50 MAX 200s in January 2024.
All these aircraft orders saw India order the maximum number of aircraft in the world, totalling over 1200 in a year, which surpassed orders placed by any other country in the world.
The latest proposed order of Air India comes as it looks to expand
The proposed Air India order comes as it looks to expand both locally and globally. Locally, the airline plans to add over 170 new flights domestically and internationally, introducing routes such as Delhi-Jaipur (three times a day) and Delhi-Jaisalmer (twice daily). Additionally, it will increase connections from Delhi to Udaipur from twice daily to three times a day. These are all flights from the Indian capital to Rajasthan, which is a desert state.
In addition, the Mumbai-Jaipur flight will increase to four times a day from three times a day currently, as will the Mumbai Udaipur flight, while the Mumbai-Jodhpur flight will operate twice daily from once a day currently. These changes come into effect from October 26.
Retrofitting of legacy Airbus A320neo to be completed this month
The airline also announced that its retrofit programme for its legacy Airbus A320neo aircraft, launched in September 2024, is nearing completion this month. Of the 27 legacy A320neo aircraft, 26 have been retrofitted with brand-new cabin interiors featuring three classes: Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. Combined with other modern single-aisle planes, Air India now operates over 100 A320 Family aircraft with world-class cabin interiors, delivering a significantly enhanced travel experience on more than 80 domestic and short-haul international routes.
Views: 1
