Air India orders 100 additional Airbus aircraft
NEW DELHI: Air India confirmed on Monday that it has placed an order for 100 more Airbus aircraft, including 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 Family aircraft, such as the A321neo. These 100 new aircraft are in addition to the firm orders for 470 aircraft that Air India placed with Airbus and Boeing last year.
The latest order increases the total number of aircraft that Air India has ordered from Airbus in 2023 from 250 to 350, comprising 40 A350 and 210 A320 Family aircraft.
Air India also announced its selection of Airbus' Flight Hour Services-Component (FHS-C) to support the maintenance requirements of its growing A350 fleet. This new materials and maintenance contract will help optimise the reliability and performance of Air India's A350 fleet, with comprehensive engineering and integrated component services, including on-site stock at Delhi, provided by Airbus.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Air India, stated, "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."
"These additional 100 Airbus aircraft will help position Air India on the path to greater growth and contribute to our mission of building Air India into a world-class airline that connects India to every corner of the world," he added.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury commented, "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. Through this continued partnership, we are committed to supporting the success of Air India's 'Vihaan.AI' transformation plan under Tata's vision and leadership."
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. In 2023, Air India 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. The A350s offer exceptional fuel efficiency, passenger comfort, and long-range capabilities, providing an all-new Air India flying experience for travellers flying non-stop from Delhi to London and New York.
The A320 Family fleet, powered by CFM LEAP 1-A engines, forms the backbone of Air India's domestic and short-haul operations, delivering world-class flying experiences to millions of the airline's customers with remarkable operational efficiency and flight economics.
