Tata group-owned Air India has made the much-awaited announcement of the hefty aircraft order. At the Aero India show in Bangalore, Air India signed two letters of intent expressing its desire to buy 250 Airbus aircraft and 220 Boeing aircraft.
The news began with the signing of a letter of intent to purchase 250 aircraft from Airbus to boost domestic and international operations. The moment was accompanied by a joint press conference held by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Air India has ordered 250 Airbus aircraft
According to Airbus: "The commitment includes 140 A320neo aircraft and 70 single-aisle A321neo aircraft, as well as 34 A350-1000 aircraft and six A350-900 aircraft." Deliveries will begin with the first A350-900 arriving in India by the end of 2023.
Rolls-Royce said in a statement that it has received an order from Air India for 68 Trent XWB-97 engines, plus options for a further 20. This is the largest order on record for the Trent XWB-97, which exclusively powers Airbus A350-1000. Air India has also ordered 12 Trent XWB-84 engines, the sole engine option for the Airbus A350-900.
Air India has ordered 220 Boeing aircraft
Then came the announcement that Air India expressed its desire to buy 220 planes from Boeing, which US President Joe Biden called "a historic deal". This announcement reflects the strength of the US-India economic partnership. "This acquisition will support more than one million American jobs," the president added in a statement issued by the White House.
The firm order for 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777Xs was signed in coordination with a firm order for 40 GEnx-1B engines and 20 GE9X engines, along with a multi-year engine service agreement. Air India has also signed for 190 737 MAXs, including the 737-8 and 737-10, and has options to buy 50 more 737 MAXs and 20 Boeing 787s.