Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Air India on December 9 confirmed it has placed an order to purchase 100 more Airbus aircraft, comprising 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 aircraft, including A321neo. These 100 new aircraft are in addition to the firm orders of 470 aircraft that Air India had placed with Airbus and Boeing last year.
The latest order takes the total number of aircraft that Air India ordered with Airbus in 2023 from 250 aircraft, comprising 40 A350 and 210 A320 Family aircraft, to 350, the airline said.
Air India also announced it has selected Airbus Flight Hour Services-Component (FHS-C) to support the maintenance requirements of its growing A350 fleet. The new materials & maintenance contract will help Air India to optimise the reliability and performance of its A350 fleet, with comprehensive engineering services and integrated component services including on-site stock at Delhi provided by Airbus.
Tata Sons and Air India Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said: “With India’s passenger growth outpacing the rest of the world…These additional 100 Airbus aircraft will help to position Air India on the path to greater growth and contribute to building Air India into a world-class airline that connects India to every corner of the world.”
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said: “Having personally witnessed the formidable growth of the Indian aviation sector in recent months, I am glad to see Air India renew its trust in Airbus with this additional order for both our A320 Family and A350 aircraft.”
With the order for 100 additional aircraft, Air India currently has a total of 344 new aircraft incoming from Airbus, having received six A350s so far. Air India, in 2023, had also placed orders for 220 widebody and narrowbody aircraft with Boeing, of which 185 aircraft remain to be delivered.
Air India is the first Indian airline to operate the Airbus A350, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Delivering exceptional fuel efficiency, passenger comfort, and long-range capabilities, the A350s now offer an all-new Air India flying experience to travellers flying non-stop from Delhi to London and New York, the airline said. The A320 Family fleet, powered by CFM LEAP 1-A engines, is a backbone of Air India’s domestic and short-haul operations, delivering world-class flying experiences as well as remarkable operational efficiency and flight economics, the Air India statement added.
