Air India’s recently announced order with Airbus and Boeing for 210 A320/321 Neo/XLRs, 40 A350-900/1000s and 190 737-Max, 20 787s and ten 777s, totaling 470 aircraft could go even higher.
This is because the airline has taken options to acquire 370 more aircraft. An aircraft option is a choice given to an aircraft customer to retain their slot in the production line and must be confirmed later. Air India will need to confirm these options in coming years, as and when the options come up for confirmation. With firm orders for 470 aircraft and options for 370 more, Air India’s eventual order could total up to 840 aircraft.
Air India announced the deal with Airbus on 14 February, when Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran confirmed the order in a video conference attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia and Piyush Goyal.
Chandrasekaran said Air India will use the new A350s on ultra-long-distance flights across the globe. Faury said the order was a historic moment for Airbus and would help script Air India’s revival.
The Air India order includes 140 A320neo and 70 A321neo single-aisle aircraft and 34 A350-1000, and six A350-900 wide-body jets. The first A350-900 will arrive by late-2023.
The Boeing order for 190 737-Max, 20 787s and ten 777s was also announced the same day.
A rejuvenated Air India has been under the ownership of Tata Sons since January 2022. In a LinkedIn post today, Air India Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer Nipun Aggarwal stated that the order demonstrates the vision and aspiration of Tata Group to transform Air India into a world-class airline and connect India 'non-stop' to every major city in the world. It was also a testament to the tremendous economic potential unleashed by Air India's privatisation, he added.
Air India’s last major aircraft order was in 2005 when it ordered Boeing for 27 B787s, 15 B777-300ERs, eight B777-200 LRs and 18 B737-800s. Indian Airlines, later merged into Air India, had ordered 43 Airbus A320ceo family jetliners in 2006.
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