Leading Indian airline Air India announced massive fleet expansion plans with placing a new order to purchase 100 more Airbus aircraft.
The new order, comprising 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 family aircraft, including A321neo, is in addition to the airline’s firm orders of 470 aircraft 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 carrier 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 and maintenance contract will help the airline 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.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, said: “With India’s passenger growth outpacing the rest of the world, its significantly improving infrastructure and an aspirational young population increasingly going global, we see a clear case for Air India to expand its future fleet beyond the firm orders of the 470 aircraft placed last year.”
He said these additional 100 Airbus aircraft will also help to position Air India on the path to greater growth.
Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO, 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.”
Of the total of 350 new plane orders with Airbus, the airline so far received only six A350s.
In 2023, the airline also placed orders for 220 widebody and narrowbody aircraft with Boeing, of which 185 remain to be delivered.
Air India is the first Indian airline to operate the Airbus A350, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
Follow us on
