250 Airbus Aircraft, 220 From Boeing: Air India’s Multi-Billion Dollar Deal
In the largest purchase in commercial aviation history, Air India, a subsidiary of the Tata group, has made multi-billion dollar agreements to purchase 470 passenger aircraft from American and French aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. The airline, which the Tata Group acquired from the government in October 2021, will purchase 220 Boeing aircraft and 250 Airbus aircraft.
“I am proud to announce today the purchase of over 200 American-made aircraft through a historic agreement between Air India and Boeing. This purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement today.
Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the historic agreement between Air India and Boeing. The agreement was praised by both parties as “a brilliant example of mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Air India has the option to purchase 70 additional aeroplanes from Boeing, bringing the total transaction value to $45.9 billion. The 250-plane contract between the Tata Group and Airbus is for the purchase of 210 narrow-body and 40 wide-body long-range A320neo family jetliners. This transaction will cost more than $100 billion.
The A350-900 and the A350-1000, which has a longer fuselage, are the two models of the A350 family. The A320 and A220 families of aircraft are examples of Airbus’s narrow-body models. The A320 family is already used by many airlines in India.
The American company has been given a shopping list that includes 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft, 20 wide-body Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777-9s.Air India’s livery may potentially be updated. It pledged $400 million last month to refurbishing the interiors of every wide-body aircraft in its fleet. The “latest generation seats and best-in-class inflight entertainment systems,” according to Air India, will be used in these.
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