After the historic Airbus order, Air India on February 14 said it has also inked an agreement with American aerospace major Boeing for the supply of 220 aircraft.
As per the deal, the TATA group-controlled airline will purchase 190 narrow-body 737 MAX jets and 30 widebodies — 20 of the Boeing 787, and 10 Boeing 777Xs, a statement noted.
The White House, in a separate release, also confirmed the signing of the Air India-Boeing pact. “This announcement reflects the strength of the U.S.-India economic partnership,” it quoted US President Joe Biden as saying.
The Boeing deal announcement came hours after Air India, in a press conference, said it has signed an agreement with the UK-headquartered Airbus and Rolls-Royce for the supply of 250 Airbus aircraft. The airline will acquire 210 single-aisle A320neos and 40 widebody A350s, with the latter to be powered by Rolls-Royce engines.
The Boeing and Airbus deals, combined, are the largest order by any airline as Air India prepares to revamp itself under the TATA group with a fuel-efficient fleet.
“The first aircraft to arrive will be 25 brand-new Boeing B737-800s and 6 Airbus A350-900s in the second half of 2023, with deliveries really ramping up in 2025 and beyond,” Air India Chairman and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said.
The acquisition of new aircraft, which will come with an entirely new cabin interior, complements Air India’s previously announced plan to refit its existing widebody B787 and B777 aircraft with new seats and inflight entertainment systems. The first of these refitted aircraft will enter service in mid-2024, the statement added.
The order placed with Boeing and Airbus “is an important step in realising Air India’s ambition, articulated in its Vihaan.AI transformation program, to offer a world class proposition serving global travellers with an Indian heart, said N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Air India and TATA Sons.
“These new aircraft will modernise the airline’s fleet and onboard product, and dramatically expand its global network. The growth enabled by this order will also provide unparalleled career opportunities for Indian aviation professionals and catalyse accelerated development of the Indian aviation ecosystem,” Chandrasekaran added.
